Rabat (UNA-OIC) – The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Sudanese National Commission for Education, Science, and Culture signed an agreement to launch the “Project of the Fight against COVID-19 through Supporting Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth” in Sudan.
The project comes as part of the ICESCO-Alwaleed Philanthropies partnership to support the efforts of 10 African countries to counter the adverse repercussions of the pandemic.
The virtual signing ceremony was held on Wednesday, with the participation of ICESCO Director-General Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, and Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi.
The virtual event was also attended by Sudan’s Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Tamader Al-Tarifi Awad Al-Karim, and several directors of sectors and advisors at ICESCO.
In his address at the ceremony, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s sustained efforts to support its Member States in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the Organization’s new vision, that adopts promoting communication mechanisms with the Member States and identifying their respective needs and priorities.
He expressed his sincere thanks and deep appreciation to ICESCO’s permanent partner, Alwaleed Philanthropies, whose Board of Directors is chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, for its generous support to ICESCO’s humanitarian and social initiatives to assist 10 African countries, including Sudan.
Ms. Al-Mahdi commended ICESCO’s excellent work, particularly the initiatives, programs, and activities the Organization launched and implemented during the COVID-19 crisis, aimed at strengthening the efforts of Member States to address the negative impacts of the pandemic. She also appreciated Alwaleed Philanthropies’ assistance to Sudan through its partnership with ICESCO.
At the end of the ceremony, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the implementation of the project. The aim is to develop a sense of innovation and entrepreneurship among women and youth in Sudan and support the private sector, entrepreneurs, and small enterprises.
Alwaleed Philanthropies collaborates with a range of philanthropic, governmental, and educational organizations to combat poverty, empower women and youth, develop communities, provide disaster relief, and create cultural understanding.
For four decades, Alwaleed Philanthropies has supported and spent more than 15 billion Saudi Riyals (SAR) and carried out more than 1000 projects in over 189 countries that 10 Saudi female members manage, reaching out to more than 1 billion beneficiaries around the world, regardless of gender, race, or religion.
