JEDDAH, 13 October 2005 — Al-Birr Charitable Society in Jeddah sponsors 2,152 orphans and supports 1,800 poor families, according to Saleh Al-Turki, chairman of the charity’s board of directors. “We have sent some students to Malaysia for higher studies,” he said.
Al-Turki was speaking at the charity’s annual ceremony, which was attended by Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal ibn Majed and officials including Hassan Tayyeb, director at the Social Affairs Ministry’s office in the Makkah region. Prince Mishaal honored a number of media personalities, including Prince Faisal ibn Salman, chairman of Saudi Research & Marketing Group (SRMG), who support the charity’s activities. Khaled Almaeena, editor in chief of Arab News, received the award on behalf of Prince Faisal.
Al-Turki urged businessmen and philanthropists to support Al-Birr Society’s humanitarian activities for the welfare of the poor and orphans. “Saudi Arabia encourages charitable activities for the betterment of its citizens,” he said.
The society had three orphanages in Jeddah — Dar Al-Zahra, Dar Al-Fityan and Markaz Al-Shabab. The society provides dialysis to 50 patients daily through its dialysis centers.
“We have also contributed to ending the problem of child beggars in the city,” Al-Turki said, adding that it had established a center to take care of such children.
Spelling out future projects, he said the society was planning to establish a third dialysis center with 27 dialysis machines donated by a philanthropist. “We will establish another center to take care of women and children suffering from domestic violence,” he pointed out.
The ceremony also saw a presentation by children of the society’s major educational achievements. A number of its students have already completed secondary commercial education and some of them have been sent to Malaysia’s Multimedia University for further education.
