Beirut, July 13th 2015: Alghanim Industries, one of the region’s largest private companies, today announced a donation of KD30,000 (US$100,000) towards the setting up of a permanent rehabilitation centre in Saida, Lebanon, to assist in the treatment of people with drug addiction.
The new centre, which has been commissioned following a donation of KD330,000 (US$1.1 million) from the Arab Fund for Economic Development, will be run by the Lebanese Civil Council Against Addiction. It will be a base from which 123 addicts from different age groups and backgrounds, including a number of refugees from Syria, can embark on rehabilitation programmes to assist them away from their addiction.
Kutayba Y. Alghanim, Chairman of Alghanim Industries, said: “In the Arab world where youth unemployment reaches 25%, drug addiction is a scourge which modern society cannot afford to ignore. It ruins the lives of the people who are addicted, and it affects the lives of families and loved ones. We need to give our young people the best chance possible to thrive and if they fall into the abyss of drug misuse and addiction we need to ensure that there is support to help them out. “I believe that this growing problem can only be fought and resolved by governments and businesses working hand-in-hand together. And I would like to take this chance to encourage other business leaders in Kuwait and the Middle East to do all they can to prevent our youth from falling into this slippery road, especially in the areas with high number of addicts and inadequate rehabilitation institutions.”
The donation is part of Alghanim Industries’ Corporate Social Responsibility programme which has the youth as one of its central pillars. It continues the longstanding close relationship of support and partnership between Kuwait and Lebanon on both government and business levels.
Alghanim Industries is committed to its strategy of giving back to the community by empowering underprivileged people, supporting education and encouraging entrepreneurship.