Encouraging Emirati youth to give back during the holy month of Ramadan

• Takatof, the nation’s leading youth volunteer network launches the largest volunteering campaign during the holy month of Ramadan, providing compelling opportunities for youth to volunteer for self- and community development.

ABU DHABI, 22 May 2017:  Emirates Foundation, an independent philanthropic organi-zation set up by the Abu Dhabi government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE, announced the launch of its ‘Volunteering Mobile App’ as part of its 10th annual Ramadan Campaign led by Takatof volunteering initiative. 

The ‘Volunteering Mobile App’ will aim to make volunteering easy and accessible thereby allowing Emirati Youth the opportunity to engage in compelling volunteering activities for community support and development across the nation during the month of Ramadan.

Powered by Emirates Foundation’s Takatof programme, the nation’s largest youth vol-unteerism network, the Ramadan campaign is in line with the year of giving and the vision set by the nation’s leadership aiming to instill a sense of civic engagement and responsibility amongst youth and providing them the opportunity to support community needs while developing their personal and leadership skills in the process. 

This year’s Ramadan campaign embraces a wide range of community activities includ-ing the distribution of essential items and preparing Iftar meals for laborers and lower income families, renovating the houses of needy families, assisting those with special needs perform their Al Omra duties and the Ramadan as well as the gathering of food and clothes from different government entities and distributing to lower income families. 

Building on previous years of successful partnership with the Make a Wish Foundation, this year, both parties will organize an activity for children with incurable diseases granting their wishes and offering unique gifts through entertaining activities. In addition, the programme will also include a Takatof Football Championship, which aims to encourage volunteers across the UAE to follow a healthy lifestyle during the holy month.

Maytha Al Habsi, Deputy CEO at Emirates Foundation, said, ' The Takatof Ramadan Campaign is inspired by the vision behind the ‘Year of Giving’ launched by The UAE’s President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in line with the national agenda, along with the national strategic plan lead by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, putting the UAE at the global forefront of volunteerism and civic engagement. 

Al Habsi further elaborated: “Our goal this year is to achieve a target of 1,700 volunteers from across the UAE with a total of 15,000 volunteering hours during the holy month of Ramadan. “This year’s campaign carries a deep message to all our youth to inspire them to practice giving through their everyday lives– a value which is not only aligned with the vision of Takatof and Emirates Foundation, but our national pride.”

In conclusion, Al Habsi encouraged all youth across the nation to join the Takatof efforts during the holy month of Ramadan either by engaging in volunteering activities or through social media to spread the awareness and encourage youth engagement in volunteerism. 

Inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Takatof fos-ters a culture of volunteering throughout the United Arab Emirates. 

Launched in 2007, it offers the nation’s youth meaningful opportunities to volunteer for important social causes and encourages engagement in public service. Takatof mem-bers are ambassadors of the culture of volunteering and they represent the culture of social solidarity, support and giving and embody the noble values of the Emirate people.