(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) During her growing up years, Emirati national Aisha Saeed Hareb was passionate about social development and community work. She would constantly think of ways to give back to the society and also raise awareness about social issues.
Upon graduating from the National Service Authority, she researched the most pressing topics and decided to get into community volunteering.
"In 2012, I started with an idea that initially aimed to empower youth and create opportunities to give back locally and globally. I managed to form the first non-profit social business in the UAE and the first online community store in the GCC. My organisation, Social Bandage, is designed to conduct campaigns that target the Emirati society and focus on creative social good campaigns targeting the youth," Hareb said.
The 29-year-old said the best thing about volunteering is that it enhances teamwork and develops relationships between people.
Talking about one of her most successful campaigns, 'Give a Wheelchair', she said: "We collaborated with local artists to brand and sell T-shirts labelled "This T-shirt donated a wheelchair". Proceeds of the initiative were used to buying wheelchairs and donating them to those in need in developing countries. This way, we managed to better the lives of many as well as to highlight local artists' talent and quality of work - all the while supporting the initiative."
Talking about what got her hooked into volunteering, Hareb said: "Volunteering is an addiction. It is contagious. Experiencing it once is enough to make you commit to it - at least that was the situation in my case. The successful and impactful experiences made me turn this passion into a lifelong goal where I support the creation of volunteering strategies to further enhance our society."
Following the success of 'Give a Wheelchair' campaign, Hareb supported the launch of 'Improve Kenya' - a campaign that aimed to raise awareness around health and support. "The success of this campaign was tremendous as it elevated the lives of those residing in a different continent, providing them with a maternity hospital and renovating four different schools," she said.
"Recently, one of the participants contacted me and suggested that we collect old and unused bicycles, fix them, and share with labourers in the UAE. We worked on the campaign and impacted more than 800 lives," she added.
Currently, Aisha, along with her colleagues, is helping to organise Day for Dubai initiative 'Suhourkom Aleina', as part of the Youth Council at the Community Development Authority (CDA). The campaign aims to provide Suhoor meals to more than 100,000 labourers. Distribution will take place across seven mosques following Taraweeh prayers.
"I encourage anyone who has a passion or an idea that they believe in to go ahead and pitch it and work hard to make it succeed," she said.
"Volunteering is a mindset that aims to positively change peoples' lives. I am proud to say that I've played (and will continue to play) a crucial role in instilling this mindset in younger generations to spark behavioural change. Our leadership exerts tremendous efforts into encouraging residents to give back. We are on the right track to fulfil the gaps in the volunteering landscape in the emirate," Hareb concluded.
First non-profit social business in the UAE
Social Bandage supports young people in turning their ideas into impactful campaigns that serve the community. Also, the organisation creates initiatives to support youth empowerment in the UAE.
MENAFN2605201800490000ID1096911886
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.