NAMA Center’s officials visit the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing

NAMA Center, one of Qatar Foundation for Social Work’s (QFSW) Centers, has organized an official visit to the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing in the presence of NAMA Center’s officials to observe the progress of work at the factory. The visit included meetings with factory officials and workers, who talked about their most important successes and achievements and addressed the challenges and difficulties facing them, especially in light of the current crisis. They further discussed measures to overcome them and get past their side effects.

Since its inception in 1997, the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing – a non-profit developmental institution with administrative and financial autonomy – has achieved a qualitative leap through the implementation of its charitable, developmental and humanitarian goals. The factory provides many training, recruitment and employment opportunities for families, individuals, people with special needs, as well as women with low incomes. At present, the number of workers at the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing stands at 72, including 67 women. There is also a plan to increase that number and expand the factory in the future.

The factory aims at empowering families in need across Qatar, with the provision of training and qualification courses, and the creation of job opportunities that provide families with a sustainable source of income in order to help them improve their standard of living, cope with the daily burdens of life, as well as overcome their problems and achieve social integration. The factory adopts a high quality management approach to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction and sufficient cash flow to support the continuity and independence of the factory's activity and development.

On this occasion, Mrs. Maryam Bint Abdullatif Al-Mannai, Acting Executive Manager at NAMA Center, said: “Our frequent visit to the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing is an affirmation of our keenness to provide all forms of support for national products as well as to promote women's participation in development and improve their contribution in all fields so as to build a society of justice and efficiency. During our regular supervision of the factory, we have witnessed the extent of development and progress taking place at the management, manpower, equipment and production levels, and we have noted the suitability of the work environment for female workers who have been working with great vigor, cooperation, team spirit, friendliness and harmony. This has made us proud of the success we have so far achieved and our ability to change the lifestyle of these women for the better in addition to playing a positive role in strengthening the social fabric of the State of Qatar, which represents an important contribution to the development of human resources, as one of the pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Mr. Denis Adriano Bellaya, Acting Director of the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing, said: “We thank NAMA Center for this constructive initiative and we are very pleased with this visit, which affirms the Center's keenness to support national products. The officials had a supervisory tour of our factory and our meeting included a detailed explanation of the entire production cycle from input to output. They also stressed the importance of the continued support of civil society organizations and government institutions for national products, especially in light of the phase that the country is currently going through, to improve production capacity and increase competitive opportunities in the local market.”

During the visit, Ms. Hadiyya Abu Zour, a worker at the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing, commented: “I am very happy with this visit as it has raised our morale and boosted our enthusiasm at work. On this occasion, I would like to thank the factory’s management and NAMA Center for their continued support through training and qualification to develop our capacities, and provide an ideal working environment.”

It is worth mentioning that the Factory of Sheikha Haya for Industrial Sewing has been awarded with the ISO certificate since 2005. It provides the official uniforms for major economic institutions and various local companies including Qatar Petroleum, WOQOD, WOQOD Vehicle Inspection (FAHES), SEEF LIMITED Company, Qatar International Beauty Academy (Tajmeel), Dolphin Energy Ltd., Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club, Qatar Independent Technical School among other institutions. The factory started as a small production unit to absorb the output of vocational training and went on to become an industrial production line that adopts the latest international standards in industrial production, which is considered a national pride for the State of Qatar.