JEDDAH, 20 May 2007 — The Volunteer Social Work Week campaign began yesterday and aims to create a new understanding of social responsibility according to organizing officials from both the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the Directorate of Education.
“Volunteer work should come naturally from each individual at every social level and with that in mind, we are trying to encourage people to understand that responsibility,” said Saleh Al-Turki, chairman of the board of the JCCI.
Ulfat Qabbani, head of the Jeddah Social Responsibility Council of the JCCI, said that the response had been very good from both the local and private sectors.
“We are aiming to develop the understanding of social work in order to achieve a permanent social and economic development that compares with developed countries,” she said.
The participants in the program are students from various Jeddah schools who work a number of volunteer social work hours and also hand out awareness pamphlets to the public during this week, she explained.
Each day of the week focuses at a certain social work program, she said, adding that the first day began with showing appreciation to expatriates for their role in serving the public and keeping the environment clean.
Today, the students will participate in a using water wisely campaign under the theme of “The Decision is Yours.” Tomorrow’s program is entitled, “Cleanliness is Part of Faith” and participants will clean mosques and public facilities. Tuesday will be “Compassion Day” during which participants will visit patients in various hospitals and in old people’s homes to give them support and show them that society still cares about them.
The last day of the program will be dedicated to general cleanliness and will spread awareness of how to keep the city clean and not litter the streets. Qabbani said that the council’s goal was to develop social work and turn them into productive projects resulting in actual benefits to both society and the country in general.
