 |
| Students participating in an International Volunteer Day event |
Students Mohamed al-Hashimi and Hessa al-Nasser discussed their experiences of being involved in volunteer work at QU and in the community.
The event was also the opportunity for CAS to launch ‘My Life is Volunteerism,’ a competition in which QU students and alumni will submit their projects outlining volunteer activities that benefit society.
“The aim is to inspire students towards volunteering in their communities and combining a sense of civic responsibility with their academic studies,” CAS dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi said.
The winners will receive cash awards and their projects distributed to civil society associations in Qatar.
‘Leave Your Fingerprint’ was the title of the event held by the Student Development Unit in the Student Activities Department to encourage QU students to become involved in events at QU and outside that support community work and service.
The objective was to get students to be more interested in contributing their time and skills to community events without the expectation of monetary return.
Further, it was to establish a culture of volunteerism among the students and members of the QU community in line with cultural and traditional values.
Discussing his experience in volunteer work, Mohamed al-Hashimi said it is very important for people, especially young people, to give back to society through community service.
He detailed some of his activities which included being part of Qatar-based NGO Reach Out To Asia and involved in youth and community outreach projects such as the Ramadan Project and the Empower conference, and the planning and organisation of the conference on the 30th anniversary of the GCC, National Day festivities at QU, and the regional meeting to discuss GCC youth participation in the upcoming Rio+20 conference, a global effort to engage, inspire and motivate young people around the world to take action on sustainable development issues.
Hessa al-Nasser devotes her spare time from her job in the Public Affairs Department at RasGas to the Doha Youth Centre where she is chief editor of Marya Shahiba magazine. She co-ordinates the activities of 30 boys and girls in the production of the magazine.
“The editors, photographers, and designers of the magazine are all young people from the Centre,” she said, adding, “Volunteering has helped me in so many ways and it is very rewarding to be able to contribute your knowledge and skills to benefit others.” As a volunteer at Qatar Career Fair, Hessa was editor of the career newsletter.