MANAMA — The Assistant Undersecretary for Islamic Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Dr. Mohammed Taher Mohammed Saleh Al Qattan affirmed the keenness of Islamic Affairs to establish effective partnerships between the governmental and private sectors in Bharain, to develop the government's work and the outputs of the Zakat and Charity Fund to execute its awareness and charitable role, reaching to social solidarity.

This was discussed on the sidelines of a meeting between Sheikh Salah Haidar, president of the Zakat and Charity Fund, and the Head of Resources Development at the Zakat and Charity Fund Muhammad Ali Ahmed, with the Chairman of Future Society for Youth Sabah Abdul Rahman Al Zayani. During the meeting, they reviewed how to boost cooperation between the Fund and the Society.

Dr. Al Qattan pointed out that, under the guidance of Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa, minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, the Zakat and Charity Fund announced its support for the "Smile" initiative, an initiative of Future Society for Youth which is concerned with providing psychological and social support to children with cancer and their parents, by launching "Smile of Hope" project. This project aims to cover sick children's therapeutic, medicinal, and health needs.

During the visit of the Zakat Fund delegation to the Future Society for Youth, they listened to a thorough explanation from Al Zayani, concerning the services and programs provided by the "Smile" initiative for more than 130 children with cancer in Bahrain. They were briefed on these sick children's needs and the initiative's plan to reach more children with cancer during the Society's new administrative session.

Sheikh Salah praised the efforts exerted by the volunteers of the "Smile" initiative since its inception in 2012, as one of the pioneering initiatives in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which reflects one of the prominent aspects of social solidarity in the Kingdom and embodies the sympathy and compassion of Bahrainis towards the most vulnerable segments such as children with cancer.

"Zakat and Charity Fund will work with the initiative to identify the most urgent needs of children with cancer, as part of its social and solidarity services and its work to achieve a decent life for its members. The fund's adoption of this initiative aims primarily to promote the concept of social solidarity that was urged by our great Islamic religion," Sheikh Salah added.

For his part, Al Zayani hailed the fund's endeavor to support the "Smile" initiative under the directives of the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, and starting joint cooperation aimed at enhancing Smile's potential and its ability to provide better care for its affiliated children in addition to expanding the initiative's services to include a more significant number of children.

"This support by the Zakat and Charity Fund for children with cancer is vital, as providing a suitable environment for a child with cancer is burdening the family, in terms of providing medical devices, support devices, medicines and providing a proper home environment, besides psychological and social support programs needed to enhance the child's immunity and aid him overcome the critical stages of the disease. We pray for God Almighty to help us to serve children with cancer until they recover, God willing, and to draw a smile on their faces and the faces of their families," Al Zayani said.