Manama: Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), a ceremony announcing the winners of Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa Award for Voluntary Youth Work was held. Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, SCW member and Chairperson of the award's committee, commended the support of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim for initiatives aimed at promoting national belonging and supporting volunteer work in Bahrain.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the award, established by royal order in 2011 in honour of the late Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa, emphasizes the importance of promoting a volunteer culture among youth, highlighting its moral value as a national and humanitarian duty. The award aims to strengthen the role of youth of both genders in volunteer work projects, foster a spirit of fair competition, and showcase youth volunteer initiatives designed to serve Bahraini society.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa congratulated the winners and expressed her hopes for their continued success. She noted that the third edition of the award attracted 64 entries, including 24 individual and 40 group projects, representing a 60% increase from the previous edition. This increase underscores the growing interest in volunteerism among Bahraini youth.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa also extended her gratitude to the award committee members for their diligent efforts in assessing the projects and ensuring diversity in evaluation methods despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee worked to ensure that the entries met the award's criteria, which included aspects of excellence, sustainability, and project commitment, as well as their ability to engage supporting entities and achieve positive impacts.
The ceremony recognized several projects for their achievements. In the category of Best Individual Volunteer Achievement, the "Lisan Arabi" project took first place, followed by a project focused on developing skills of workers in disability support services. The Best Group Volunteer Achievement category awarded the Hypo Youth Programme first place, with the Keys Programme coming in second. Outstanding Group Projects included the Mulhemoun "Inspirers" volunteer team and the Paramedics Academy team.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa thanked both public and private sector institutions and civil society organizations for their support in developing and sustaining community volunteer initiatives. Notably, the Youth and Technology Society adopted a project from the first edition, and the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) supported the publication of an English version of a novel by a second edition project winner.
The ceremony concluded with a film presentation showcasing the third edition of the award, its significance, categories, and objectives.