Youth focus on humanity, charity and environment

The goal of the initiative, which included three days of volunteering activities at various locations, was to raise awareness about local social issues, promote active citizenship and community engagement, and develop a sense of ownership to improve the society and serve its needs.

The volunteer weekend started last Thursday with a beach clean-up organised with the Ministry of Environment’s support. Equipped with various tools, more than 40 youths spent several hours cleaning up Al Wakrah beach.

Another environmental activity took place in Ras Laffan on Saturday, where more than 50 youths helped conduct wildlife research about the dhub (lizard) with Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI). The volunteers found more than 50 burrows in just an hour.

The participants also had the opportunity to deal with issues of humanity and health with the help of Hamad Medical Corporation. On all three days, groups of participants visited children with special needs at Al Rumailah Hospital, spent time with elderly department patients at Al Rumailah Rehabilitation Centre and got to know about the life of dialysis patients at Fahad bin Jassim Kidney Centre.  

Finally, on all three evenings, the volunteers helped collect in-kind donations at several compounds, including Al Faisaliya Gardens, Al Wadi Compound and Les Roses 1. Residents of these compounds could give away old clothes, books, furniture, toys and other belongings, which were collected with the help of Qatar Charity and TAYF (In-kind Donations Programme).

The activities ended with a closing ceremony held at the Aspire Dome on Saturday. All the volunteers were rewarded with certificates and they also had time to reflect on the activities and cherish the moments.

National Volunteer weekend is set to become an annual initiative, organised by The Youth Company under its YOU in Action Programme, which promotes volunteer opportunities and social awareness campaigns.

The event was supported by the Ministry of Environment, Qatar Charity, TAYF (In-kind Donations Programme), QEERI, Hamad Medical Corporation, Youth Enterprises, Commercial Bank, Aspire Zone, Nandos and Footwalkers Production.

Aya Abu Issa, chief executive director of The Youth Company, said: “It’s great to realise that residents of Qatar care about the future of the country at different levels. We are especially excited to have so many young people who are inspired and ready to devote their time and skills to make the world a better place to live in.”