By Salma El Shami | Yahoo! Maktoob
Over 10,000 volunteers gathered at Dubai World Trade Centre this week to pack 5000 care packages as part of this year’s Adopt-a-Camp Ramadan Care Packages event.
The two-day charity campaign, held in association with Dubai Chamber of Commerce, saw volunteers work tirelessly for hours to package daily essentials such as food, blankets, towels and toiletries into boxes or ‘care packages’, which were then distributed to labourers in Dubai Investment Park’sLarsen & Toubro Camp.
Bollywood actor, Arjun Ramal added some star power to the event by joining the team to help distribute the packages. In a statement, he expressed both his respect and appreciation for the labourers, who in his own words "built the beautiful city of Dubai.”
“These are the people who made Dubai. These guys don’t work in favourable conditions, these guys work in these hot places. They give so much, I’m here to contribute and thank them and give back,” he said.
Adopt-a-Camp founder Saher Shaikh said: “This year has been our best yet; it’s been super smooth, volunteers have been so happy, everyone is just enjoying themselves.”
The charities activities are not restricted to this event as it runs all year round. "We don't do it according to the social calendar, we do it according to the men's needs," Shaikh said.
Sarah Aziza, one of Adopt-a-Camp head organisers, said: “We are assembling 5,000 care packages for 5,000 men; 40 supplies to last them three months. There is everything from mattresses to bed pillows…toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream. Everything that the men requested, we have a list from them.”
The event also coincided with Emirati Humanitarian Work Day on July 28, which honours the late UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
This is the third year that Adopt-a-Camp and Dubai Chamber have partnered up for Dubai Chamber's Charity event as part of its Charity Festival during the holy month of Ramadan. The event was sponsored by several companies, including Canonand Movenpick .
Shaikh started the initiative in 2006 and has since adopted 50 labour camps, which house more than 43,700 men under her wing.
“It’s such a beautiful cause, you see people from all ages, from different nationalities come together to give back. I came here to take part in that, to offer my help for these men, who have worked hard, day and night. This is the least I can do,” Nada Darraj, one of the volunteers at this year's event, said.
Last year's Care Packages event saw more than 15,000 volunteers; help distribute more than 5,000 packages to the labourers in Sonapour's labour camps.
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