Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the 2019 Qatar Foundation Convocation, which celebrated the 787 students graduating from nine Education City universities.
Doha: An audible mobile application which aims to promote the value of mercy, has won the Cycle 2 of Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Akhlaquna Award and it was presented by H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, at the Education City Convocation ceremony, yesterday.
The project initially stemmed from the belief that it is every human’s right to live a dignified, independent life and be provided with equal opportunities to participate in society.
The Akhlaquna Award was first announced by H H Sheikha Moza during QF’s 2017 Convocation ceremony. The award is designed to recognise and celebrate young people who display exemplary moral character for the good of humanity.
Mobsron, a fully-audible mobile application that provides people who are blind and visually impaired with a tool for ordering food, reviewing ingredients, and comparing prices, led by 17-year-old Nawal Al Kurbi with Almazun Al Marri, and Amal Al Gherainig.
“I am very proud that Mobsron has won this prestigious award,” Nawal Al Kurbi said. “I couldn’t have achieved this without my teammates. We believe that winning this award will help us to reach a larger audience and take our project to the next level, with Qatar Foundation’s support,” said Nawal.
H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, awarded students Nawal Al Kurbi, Almazun Al Marri and Amal Al Gherainig with the 2nd annual Akhlaquna Award for their project “Mobsron”, which aims to empower and integrate the visually impaired in society through a mobile app that aids in food ordering and restaurant transactions.
Almazun, the initiative’s deputy leader, said, “Each human has the right to live an independent life, and it is for this reason that we launched our mobile app. Through this human initiative, we are looking to provide a very effective service to help the blind and visually impaired in Qatar, and hopefully beyond.”
Amal who is the initiative’s media specialist said, “My participation in the Akhlaquna Award this year has given me the confidence to follow my beliefs – without hesitation – and to challenge myself.”
Mobsron was one of the three finalists who were shortlisted from among a hundred applications for the award.
“The ultimate aim of this award is to recognise and celebrate young people who have developed projects that embody exemplary moral character and inspire others to effect positive change in their communities. Mobsron is a great example of how Qatar Foundation, through this award, is committed to helping empower the next generation of leaders, and how our youth are responding to this,” said Machaille Al Naimi, President of Community Development, QF.
Cycle 2 of the initiative aims to highlight projects that best embody moral values shared across different religions and cultures – reflecting Qatar’s diverse and multicultural environment, while being rooted in Islamic heritage.
This year’s finalists are Future Compass, a summer programme created by 15-year-old student Eman Alobaide that sees 25 local organisations providing real-life work experience to young people; Tmakkan, a programme established by 19-year-old Reema Al Kuwari, where retired people serve as mentors to young Qatari professionals.
The Cycle 2 finalists were chosen by this year’s jury members, Amaal Al Mannai, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Foundation for Social Work; Dr Jassim Sultan, Director of Wijdan Cultural Centre; Dr Emad El Din Shahin, Dean of the College Of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a member of QF; and Professor Mabrouk Zeid Elkheir, Director of the National Centre for Research in Islamic Sciences in Algeria.
