Our ‘7Ways to Pay It Forward’ series was very successful and we received many suggestions and requests from all of you to list additional initiatives. We feel blessed to witness such enthusiasm and solidarity!
You will find below 2 different lists, one with community led initiatives and another one with local and international campaigns driven by government and authorities.
We’ll make sure to update this list regularly and we invite you to continue sharing all information you have to help us all make a difference and pay it forward! Thank you.
Be safe, be good & stay connected!
Tatiana
Community led initiatives:
(in alphabetical order, this list has been last updated May 25th, 2020)
Blank Canvas Community, the #WhatsYourAntidote initiative aims to bring together people from across the UAE to express themselves and share methods that help them cope with self-isolation and social distancing. Keeping creativity alive, the creative collective is encouraging people to contribute, share their work, passion project or hobby: take a photo or video of whatever you’re working on, post it on social media using the hashtag #thisismyantidote including a brief description that answers the question: What is your antidote? You can also tag Blank Canvas Community in your posts so your work can be shared. Connect with them on Facebook or Instagram @blankcanvas.community
Companies For Good in partnership with Veerto App, work out for good, do good from home, turn exercise into donations! Workouts are converted into donations for social projects. You need to be a team and this works well for companies who wish to engage with their employees for a good cause. This is how it works: first, the company will select a cause and set a collective goal for your company. For example: “for every 1,000 minutes’ collective exercise, we’ll donate 1,000 soap bars to vulnerable communities”. All team members will see this goal in the app. Participants will have an option to click the ‘Donate’ button, effectively adding their minutes of workout into the global count. Once the company’s goal is reached, the contribution will be activated towards the social cause. Learn more on their website www.companiesforgood.ae
Curry4Curry, initiative led by Bobby Kapoor, Chef Partner at Cartalyst Solutions / Classic Catering Establishment, who has worked in the food industry for over 25 years. He first started cooking and distributing food to labourers during Ramadan in 2015 and has continued every year since. To date they have prepared over 3 hundred thousand meals for the workers in camps. Having grown up in comfortable surroundings in the UK, Bobby felt it was his turn to give back and express his sense of gratitude for what he now has.
Help Our Heroes, VeggiTech has teamed up with The Noodle House to provide over 10,000kgs of farm fresh, pesticide free food to those front-line care workers in need. The initiative is registered through Shurooq and the Sharjah Charity Association.
K9 Friends also needs your support. For only AED 31 a month you can change a dog’s life for a whole year, that’s about the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee or 1 takeout meal. It costs AED 370 to support and sponsor the care of a dog for a whole year www.k9friends.com – Info@k9friends.com or 04 887 8739
Micropolis, SME’s are the backbone of the Dubai economy, unfortunately it is these small businesses and start-ups who have been hit hardest by the pandemic and who are doing whatever they can to stay afloat until we come out the other side of this. Lucy Bradly, a small business owner herself of Plug Operation, a design company, started Micropolis as a means to encourage us, the public, to support local companies instead of big corporates and larger brands. www.mymicropolis.com
One Good Thing, a Dubai-based online shop that creates positive social and environmental impact with every purchase by shopping handmade and sustainable gifts that give back, is making face-masks using fabric cut-offs otherwise destined for landfill. For every pack you buy one mask is donated to those most vulnerable. www.one-goodthing.com
Pay It Forward, an initiative by INKED, in partnership with Al Serkal Avenue, that has been working with the UAE Food Bank and the DHA in order to distribute thousands of meals to those in need.
Sahem, a UAE-based community initiative that enables food access to those who need it. The group, inspired by the Arabic word for contribution, works to connect those who can help, with members of society whose access to food has been disrupted during the unprecedented Covid19 pandemic. These relief efforts focus on identifying and verifying the most vulnerable in society, and supporting them via vouchers, meals and food packages. Support them on YallaGive
TechForTrees: we all have clutter at home – old laptops and older phones getting dusty in a drawer. This is your chance to clear out your closets and do good at the same time. How? Companies For Good and Melltoo will recycle your electronics, resell them and then plant one tree per item!
UAE Buddy: the main aim of the group is to mobilize the community to come together and help in whatever way they can, be it as a mentor to someone who has lost their job, offering expert services to those with anxiety or simply delivering food to someone who is housebound.
UAE Relief, a group of residents and citizens of the UAE offering to connect those in need with those offering help. They ask all restaurants, pharmacies, and any other private establishments offering free food, medical supplies or any type of support to step forward and get in touch, sharing what they can contribute to for the relief packages, and spreading the word. The UAE Relief initiative is supported by AIESEC UAE, AIESEC is a global youth-led organization striving to achieve peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential by activating leadership qualities in youth through learning from practical experiences in challenging environments. AIESEC UAE, established in 2001, has been playing a major role in youth development in the country by activating opportunities and initiatives organized by its committees in Dubai and Sharjah.
Washmen, in partnership with Comfort, will pick up from you bags with clothes you wish to donate: they will fully clean them and donate on your behalf to those most in need. Donations will be delivered by the Emirates Red Crescent. Permit granted by the charitable organization of the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department. www.washmen.com
Government & Local Authorities led initiatives:
(in alphabetical order, this list has been last updated May 21, 2020)
Dar Al Ber Society, one of the pioneers of organized charity in the United Arab Emirates, has reported to have spent around US$ 100 million in educational, cultural, medical and humanitarian assistance to the needy in the UAE and across the globe over the last thirty years. To face the coronavirus emergency, they have formed a task force to identify the labourers who are facing food shortage due to the pandemic outbreak. If anyone would like to contribute they can donate food packages using this online form,each pack cost only 64.50aed, or contact the Society by email
Dubai Cares, in association with the UAE Ministry of Education launched “Education Uninterrupted”, a nationwide fundraising campaign that tackles the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the education of children and youth in the UAE. The campaign calls on the UAE community to make financial and in-kind donations in support of children and youth from low-income families who cannot afford to purchase a desktop computer, laptop or tablet and join their peers in distance learning from the safety of their home. This campaign hopes to alleviate the burden on parents who are playing a key role in their children’s distance learning as well as support teachers in their effort to continue delivering quality education to students during the COVID-19 outbreak, thereby joining doctors, nurses and medical staff in being the community’s first line of defense during these challenging times. www.dubaicares.ae
Global Giving, Donations will “help stop the virus’s spread and give communities on the front lines of the crisis the resources they need to act quickly and protect the most vulnerable” www.globalgiving.org
10 Million Meals, launched by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in collaboration with Social Solidarity Fund Against Covid-19. www.10millionmeals.ae
Ma’an, the ‘Together We Are Good’ programme is the first project of Ma’an’s Social Fund that allows community contributions to help tackle social challenges. The Social Fund is the official government channel to receive contributions from the community to tackle pressing social challenges. The aim is to support families during these unprecedented times, and is just one area in which Ma’an is providing assistance to those in need. As well as education support, Ma’an’s ‘Together We Are Good’ programme is also currently using the contributions received to assist families and individuals with food supplies and healthcare, and will extend its support to basic living needs such as rent payments or repatriation flights in the near future. www.maan.gov.ae
Make My Meal, the UAE’s largest online tiffin service has teamed up with Emirates Red Crescent, the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department, the Government of Dubai and the UAE Food Bank to create the Gift A Meal initiative. www.makemymeal.ae
Nefsy, every meal you buy will also feed someone less fortunate. The initiative is supported by Emirates Red Crescent, the Government of Dubai, the Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department and Fund for UAE the Homeland of Humanity. For a donation of AED12 through the Nefsy app, two people in need affected by the global pandemic both nationally and internationally will receive a free meal. The initiative also gives the option to buy a 30-day package for the same price. All users need to do, is download the Nefsy app and sign up for free to donate. The campaign is also asking residents to be a part of a viral charity challenge, by recording and uploading a video to their own social channels announcing they are taking part in the campaign to donate meals – and then challenging three or more friends to match the donation and do the same. www.nefsy.com/
Penny Appeal Middle East, a non-government organisation with headquarters in the UK, is providing vulnerable communities with Covid-19 relief kits that include staple food items, sanitation products and toiletries. www.pennyappealme.org
Taaluf is a new interactive initiative that provides family counselling for all community members, via four different channels. It was launched to mitigate the psychological and mental health impacts of Covid-19, particularly as it pertains to quarantine and social distancing. You can contact the hotline, available 9am until 9pm daily except for Fridays and Saturdays. You can call 800623
#UAE_Volunteers, support for first line defenders in curbing COVID19 by volunteering www.volunteers.ae
YallaGive, the first licensed online donation and crowdfunding platform in the Middle East has partnered with Emirates Red Crescent to launch a coronavirus relief campaign and aims to raise Dh500,000 “to help others during this difficult time”.www.yallagive.com
Your City Needs You, volunteering campaign launched by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. The campaign responds to the call of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to increase awareness of the importance of volunteering as part of our patriotic and humanitarian responsibilities. The campaign seeks to give people in Dubai the opportunity to participate in a variety of volunteering activities, paying tribute to healthcare workers and other personnel on the front lines of efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of the community.
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) launched an AED 100 billion comprehensive Economic Support Scheme for retail and corporate customers affected by COVID-19. These measures will come into force with immediate effect since World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 as a global pandemic. Read also about the UAE Economic support to minimise the impact of COVID-19 and the different Stimulus Packages.
The National Creative Relief Program, to support creatives impacted by COVID-19. The program aims to provide financial grants to independent individuals, small businesses and entrepreneurs in the fields of cultural and creative industries to help them survive and overcome the impact of COVID-19.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef announced a partnership to work together through the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund. You can donate on the dedicated website www.covid19responsefund.org
Disclaimer: By promoting these initiatives Goumbook is not in any way profiting nor raising funds for any organisation, individual or company.