RIYADH, 22 June 2007 — In a charity auction of unique cell phone numbers, the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) on Wednesday raised SR5 million for the Disabled Children’s Association (DCA), headed by Prince Sultan ibn Salman.
Seventy popular cell phone numbers were auctioned. The highest bid recorded was SR500,000 and the second highest was SR256,000. Both winners declined to reveal their names and said that the money spent had been given in the path of Allah.
Abdul Majeed, manager of the Al-Bustan Company, also bought a number for SR140,000. He told Arab News that he purchased this number to help disabled children in the Kingdom. “The number will be useful to me and my charity will be more useful in helping deserving handicapped children,” he added.
Kosay Abdulaziz Al-Fawaz, general manager of STC’s Media and Marketing Support, told Arab News that he was delighted by the massive response from Saudi philanthropists. “The project was part of STC efforts to assist deserving people,” Al Fawaz said, adding that the company supported 1,300 Saudi students during the first quarter of this year to develop professional skills to help find suitable vocations.
Thanking subscribers who participated in the event, Dr. Awadh Al-Ghamdi, secretary-general at DCA, told Arab News that he never expected such a massive response from the public. “The association relies mainly on donations given by Saudi philanthropists... The association needs an annual budget of SR50 million to maintain its six centers in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, Riyadh, Al-Jouf and Hail,” he said, adding that a foundation stone has been laid for another center in Abha and that construction work is to begin soon there.
“We are in the process of setting up income generating endowments for the smooth maintenance of these centers,” he said, adding that the Prince Abdul Majeed Endowment in Makkah is to be established with the support of public funds. The DCA looks after around 5,000 children, which includes 3,000 boarding in the centers and 2,000 coming as day students. Al-Ghamdi estimates that the Kingdom has about 30,000 disabled children and only 10,000 have been brought under the care of social service organizations such as the DCA.
“We have made special arrangements with the Ministry of Labor and members of the private sector to find employment opportunities for students who pass out from the centers,” he said, adding that the DCA has found jobs for 50 partly disabled students on Monday under this special program.
