Qatar Airways hosted a special Garangao celebration with airline staff and children with special needs from Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs (QSRSN), Shafallah Centre for children with special needs and Renad Academy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The two-night event was held at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel.
The Oryx Kids Club mascots Orry, Orah and their three furry friends – Kamil the camel, Faaiz the falcon and Farah the desert fox – joined in the festivities and celebrated the event with children as they collected treats and listened to stories. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is at the core of Qatar Airways values, and Garangao is one of the most anticipated and appreciated events in their CSR annual calendar.
Celebrating Traditions
The celebration featured a number of traditional Qatari houses and tents, each with a delightful surprise awaiting the guests, as well as a range of exciting traditional games that introduced the children to the way games were played in the past. Traditional Qatari cuisine was also served. The guests walked around the featured houses, collecting sweets and nuts and listened to traditional stories read by a storyteller. There was also a choreographed traditional Qatari dance performed on stage by children.
Qatar Airways Senior VP for Human Resources, Nabeela Fakhri, said that the joyous event aimed to promote local traditions and customs, while encouraging children to participate in a variety of traditional activities that have been passed down through many generations. The event, according to her, was hosted to instil Qatari traditions among younger generations and foster social engagement among the community.
Qatar Airways is deeply committed to investing in the Qatari community through our range of CSR initiatives. I am delighted that our Garangao celebrations bring families together in this atmosphere, while also helping maintain a link between our children and our own rich cultural heritage. As the national carrier of the State of Qatar, one of our primary values is pride in Qatar, and we are delighted to display this by providing a rich learning experience and wonderful evening for our guests.’
QSRSN General Manager Amir Al Mulla said they were grateful to Qatar Airways for for hosting the wonderful event for their children.
This event is a testament to how far we have come as a society in coming together and creating educational, culturally enriching experiences and inclusivity to all children.’
The annual Garangao event takes place in the middle of Ramadan after sunset prayer. On Garangao, children walk around their neighbourhoods, knocking on doors, chanting the ‘Garangao’ song and collecting nuts and sweets. On this day, children are also encouraged to wear colourful traditional clothing to further enhance the festivities.
Qatar Airways CSR Programme
Qatar Airways is proud of its CSR programme. Last year the airline renewed its sponsorship as Official Airline Partner to flying eye hospital, Orbis UK for three more years. The airline has been a proud sponsor of Orbis and its blindness prevention programmes since 2012. Qatar Airways also continues to be a proud supporter of Educate A Child programme, which helps provide quality primary school education to millions of out-of-school children globally.
The airline has also partnered with Shafallah Centre to provide special needs adults with employment opportunities at Qatar Airways.
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