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Under Patronage of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim, SCW ceremony announces winners of Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa Award for Voluntary Youth Work
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.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa highlighted the significance of the award, established by royal order in 2011, in honour of the late Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa, who had held a distinguished position in society.
The award aims to promote the concept of a volunteer culture among youth, highlighting its moral value as a national and humanitarian duty. It strengthens the role of youth of both genders, as individuals and groups, in volunteer work projects, developing a spirit of fair competition, and showcases youth volunteer initiatives aimed at serving Bahraini society.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa congratulated the winners and wished them success in their efforts. HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa highlighted that the third edition of the award received 64 entries, comprising 24 individual and 40 group projects. This marks a 60% increase from the previous edition, which featured 13 individual and 27 group projects.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa also expressed her gratitude to the award committee members for their efforts in reviewing the projects and ensuring diversity in audit methods despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with the third edition.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa emphasised that the committee worked to ensure the entries met the award’s criteria, which include highlighting aspects of excellence, sustainability, and project commitment, as well as their ability to attract relevant supporting entities, targeted groups, and the positive impacts achieved for them. Other criteria include gained experiences, obtaining certifications or awards in the project domain, and previous achievements and contributions.
HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa thanked the public and private sector institutions and civil society organisations contributing to the development and sustainability of these projects and supporting community volunteer initiatives, including the Youth and Technology Society, which adopted one of the winning projects from the first edition of the award, and the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC), which supported the publication of an English version of a book by one of the second edition’s winning projects, the novel "My Return to Life".
During the ceremony, HH Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa honoured the winners of the third edition of the award, where the following projects were recognised:
Best Individual Volunteer Achievement:
- First place: Lisan Arabi "Arabic tongue" project
- Second place: Project on Developing Skills of Workers in Disability Support Services
Best Group Volunteer Achievement:
- First place: Hypo Youth Programme
- Second place: Keys Programme
Outstanding Group Projects:
- Mulhemoun "Inspirers" (Montessori) volunteer team
- Paramedics Academy team
The ceremony also included a film showcasing the third edition of the award, highlighting its significance, categories, and objectives.