On International Volunteer Day, the Saudi Ministry of Health launched its “My Volunteering is Health.” The event was held in Jeddah, and included different participants, such as government hospitals, volunteers and specialists, and centers for people with special needs.
International Volunteer Day (IVD) is mandated by the UN General Assembly and is “viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities.”
According to Arab News, the “campaign aims to provide 2,000 volunteering initiatives distributed through various regions of the Kingdom. it is implemented through 20,000 volunteers among its employees with a total of more than 60,000 volunteering hours.”
Doctor Hind Faisal, from the department of academic affairs at Sharq Jeddah Hospital, told the news portal that “Sharq Jeddah Hospital and many of its health centers are volunteering today to develop the spirit of volunteering among its employees.”
Also on International Volunteer Day, King Salman Youth Center launched an initiative to boost volunteerism among Saudi scholarship students studying abroad, in partnership with the Scholarship Agency of the Ministry of Education and the Cultural Attache.
As explained on the CIC website, the initiative entitled “Saudis Passed by Here” and centers on a competition among Saudi students across the globe “to present volunteer projects based on furthering the social good and that reflect the positive contribution of Saudi students to volunteerism […]highlight the charitable works of the students in their roles as representatives of the Kingdom abroad.”
“There was wide-spread participation on the part of Saudi students abroad,” said Mohammed Al Asiri, Director of the King Salman Youth Center, “which is an encouraging reflection of their interest in the benefits of volunteer work and their ability to create a varied group of projects.”
