Dubai Cares yesterday launched Volunteer Globally 2014, offering members of the U.A.E. community a rare chance to volunteer and join the Dubai Cares team in Nepal in order to construct a school.
Volunteer Globally is one of the main pillars of Dubai Cares' local outreach activities. This year, EnerPlastics LLC, a leading Dubai-based company, is sponsoring Dubai Cares Volunteer Globally 2014 as part of their CSR efforts to support community programmes.
Commenting on the launch of the second edition of Volunteer Globally, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, said, "Volunteer Globally 2014 will be a life-altering experience for participating volunteers, giving them a taste of everyday life in Nepal while presenting the opportunity to make a tangible contribution towards making education accessible to local children in the country.
"Through their week-long immersion in local life, the volunteers will also get a sense of the positive impact education can have on elevating the status of local communities. This will ideally motivate them to inspire others back home and garner support towards making a tangible change in the lives of more children, their families and communities." Aman ur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of EnerPlastics, said, "We are pleased to sponsor Dubai Cares Volunteer Globally 2014 initiative in Nepal. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, we annually budget for supporting community programmes and have regularly found Dubai Cares as an excellent enabler in achieving such goals. This policy is a token of our appreciation of our host Emirate, Dubai, for the community's support in helping our company grow and service the world-wide plastic industry, thus adding to establish confidence in the ‘made-in-Dubai' brand.
"This particular initiative is even more commendable ,as it gives an opportunity for hands-on participation to the younger generation, who will be our future leaders, both in the private and the public sectors. We very much look forward to continue our relationship with Dubai Cares into the future and wish them all the blessings for their efforts." Volunteer Globally was launched in 2009, in line with Dubai Cares aim of engaging U.A.E. residents by offering them the opportunity to give back. For the current Nepal edition, Dubai Cares is looking for volunteers of 21 years and above, who are U.A.E. residents, enthusiastic about social work and physically capable to perform construction work and adapt to the working conditions and routine of life in the village.
The school worksite activities planned for the volunteers include digging, picking, sifting, mixing concrete, making bricks, carrying water and tying rebar. Worksite activities will also be combined with cultural education workshops. Volunteers will be staying in accommodations close to the school site and the community benefitting from the project.
The volunteer team will be led by Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, and members of the Dubai Cares team who will oversee the project, guide the volunteers through the work and ensure safety standards whilst being involved in the construction of the school. The construction team will also include professionals who will direct the volunteers on the ground to ensure a safe and efficient working environment. BuildOn, the implementing partner for Dubai Cares in Nepal, will co-manage the project.
The project will also be the subject of a documentary that Dubai Cares is producing to document the impact the U.A.E. community is making in developing countries. The documentary, which will feature the volunteers in action, will provide a case study of the work the generous contributions of the U.A.E. public have enabled. It will be released with a special screening for the volunteers and their families.
Volunteers interested in being part of Volunteer Globally 2014 can register by visiting the website.
Dubai Cares will shortlist 50 candidates on a first-come first-served basis, followed by a round of one-on-one interviews for the final selection of the 15 volunteers to travel to Nepal. The volunteer team will also receive a comprehensive briefing ahead of the trip, which will cover the ground situation in Nepal, socio-economic background as well as an overview of the activities that will be undertaken as part of the school construction. An additional 15 volunteers will be placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations.
The basic logistics and expenses of the trip including visa charges, travel, accommodation, food and beverage, travel supplies, vaccinations and safety equipment will be handled by Dubai Cares. Upon completion of the project, all volunteers will receive a Certificate of Appreciation.
Source: WAM