From the age of 17, Ali Al Ghamdi has been donating money to orphans and families all around the world, today supporting 7,000 orphans and 2,000 families. Speaking recently to daily Al Hayat, the Saudi Arabian philanthropist explained that during a trip he took when he was younger, he was impacted by the extreme poverty he witnessed and decided from that moment on to help in any way he can.
Following in the footsteps of Kuwaiti philanthropist Abdul Rahman Al Samit, Al Ghamdi began his journey into philanthropy by providing classrooms for underprivileged children.
“We helped prepare them for school and we gave the support they needed so they would feel just equal to their peers in schools. I also worked in Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, the Comoros, Chad, Niger, Uganda and other countries,” he explained.
Al Ghamdi’s work has been long and effective to the point that he is now able to see the results of his contribution to the lives of those he has helped. For instance, Dr. Abdul Shakour, a Ugandan, was an orphan who grew up in Al Ghamdi’s care. He went on to study medicine in his home country with the ambition to give back to his own community.
Al Ghamdi continues today to ensure that the people he supports have their basic needs met and sufficient funds to complete their education, and he does so with no help at all from charity organizations or donors.
“I tried reaching out to national and official directories and entities to support me but no one responded so I had to continue my work without any help. I would take out bank loans and live within a tight budget to be able to pay the money back. Once I pay back a loan, I take another and so on,” he explained.
Al Ghamdi also explained that whenever he felt overwhelmed, his wife was there by his side providing him with encouragement and support he needed to keep doing his altruistic work. For 13 years, the couple were unable to have any children but Al Ghamdi and his wife have now been blessed with four children, a boy and three girls.
