Abu Dhabi: Volunteers are giving back to the community during Ramadan, with several activities arranged during the month, including holding public iftar, donating clothes and visiting hospitals.
The initiatives which have been organised by Takatof, a volunteering organisation set up by the Emirates Foundation, has become an annual event for the group, using the month of Ramadan as an opportunity to launch several community programmes with the aim of encouraging volunteerism, especially among young people.
“We are planning many activities during Ramadan, this month is always a good time for volunteer work and to give back to the community, and also with 2017 being declared the Year of Giving in the UAE, it makes it more fitting to help the community,” said Eiman Al Darmaki, who heads Takatof’s volunteering work in Al Ain.
“So far, we have held an iftar that was organised for workers, and this is just one of 12 initiatives that are going to be carried out. Our next activities will see us go and decorate two homes, these houses have been picked because they have limited budgets and so we will do it for them,” she added.
“During the third week of Ramadan, we will also be donating clothes, giving the clothes to the people who need it, and in the fourth week we are going to visit children in Al Ain Hospital, giving them gifts to make them happy for the Eid. We are also going to be visiting labourers as well during this time to give them gifts,” she said.
Al Darmaki said that young volunteers are also put at the forefront of these community engagement programmes, which she says is designed to make them proactive and conscious of serving the community.
“For each activity, we do we target 20-25 volunteers, and we look to get young Emiratis, especially those from the universities. We also get young volunteers from different nationalities, and the main goal is to spread the culture of volunteerism among the youth.
“It’s very important for people to be involved in community engagement, and to give something back to society and the country. I became a volunteer because I wanted to give back to my country without having to get paid for it. I wanted to do a selfless act to help others, and thanks to becoming a volunteer, I have learnt so much and gained new skills over the years,” she added.
Aisha Salem Al Hammadi, who is one of the many volunteers for Takatof, said she decided to join the group because she wanted to help people.
“I have been doing volunteer work for one year now, but this is my first time to be doing volunteer work during the month of Ramadan. It’s a nice experience, it makes me happy helping other people and to see their appreciation.
“I have signed up for many different activities, so far I have helped with organising an iftar in Abu Dhabi with around 500 people attending. As volunteers, we prepared the place for the iftar meal, and brought the food,” she added.
Fatima Ali Al Mazroui, who is also volunteering for the first time In Ramadan, said she had already learnt a lot from her experience.
“It’s my first time, so I feel so many things, and have learnt so many things. I decided to do volunteer work because I wanted to help the community, and this was the good time to do it during the month of Ramadan.
“I had the opportunity to organise an iftar, and to also donate clothes and food to the people who need it. It was a very nice feeling, seeing the people smile made me happy. The next events that I am going to be taking part in will be visiting children who are in the hospital. We are going to hold a party for them and give them gifts, I am really excited and looking forward to that.” she added.
“I would encourage other people to get involved in volunteer work because it’s important for all of us to always ensure that our community is in good shape, and that everyone gets the help they need. Initiatives like this are good because it gives us the opportunity to get involved,” she said.
