The former ruler of Qatar has donated one million Euros to a small French town and its schools.
The former ruler of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has donated the large sum of one million Euros to the small town Mouans-Sartoux in southeastern France.
The money was donated to help provide local schools with completely organic foods.The donation was welcomed by Pierre Aschieri, the mayor of Mouans-Sartoux, where 10,000 people reside and has an operational cost of 12 million Euros annually.
The schools in the town have since 2012 offered children meals from organic ingredients, part of which come from the municipality’s own agricultural projects and farms. The money donated by the Qatari Emir will help make the meals 100% organic in the future.
Sheikh Hamad himself owns a 30 hectare estate in the town, and was reportedly so impressed by the city’s organic school lunches program that he chose to help out however he could, according to AFP.
However, not everyone in the town was happy with the donation. The town’s political opposition leader, Christophe Chalet, criticized it and said that it is a move that is against the Republic.
Within recent years, Qatar has been a strong and active investor across several sectors in France. They have invested in sports clubs like the iconic Paris Saint-Germain football club, as well as in large companies and luxurious hotels.
