UAE | Education

Young Emiratis to take a lead in volunteering

An army of anonymous volunteers is being recruited in the UAE by appealing to a desire in their hearts: to make a difference and leave a legacy.

  • By Marten Youssef, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 April 29, 2008
  • Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: An army of anonymous volunteers is being recruited in the UAE by appealing to a desire in their hearts: to make a difference and leave a legacy.

"Discover the hero in you," is the invitation behind the one-day International Volunteering Symposium held by the philanthropic Emirates Foundation.

The conference brings together university administrations from eight countries to discuss the importance of recruiting volunteers.

In the face of a generation that has been described as being handed things in life on a "silver platter," the Takatof programme has been set up by the foundation to train young Emirati students about the importance of leadership and volunteering.

"Volunteering adds a different dimension to learning. It helps them become contributing members of their society," Shaikh Nah-yan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, addressed the delegates during his welcome speech.

"Through volunteering, students can bridge the gap that divides people of different backgrounds," Shaikh Nahyan added. While many young men choose to wash their hands off what has been called an overly-simplistic desire to "make a difference and leave a legacy," the Takatof programme is a practical way for volunteers to roll up their sleeves and help.

The meaning of Takatof is born from an Arabic phrase, meaning shoulder to shoulder, not just in helping others but in being a tightly-knit community that stands united. This is the essence of the Takatof programme, which was created to fulfill the vision of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Sup-reme Comannder of the UAE Armed Forces.

For several weeks at a time, these students are taken into a remote desert site in Ras Al Khaimah and are taught through exercises what it means to be a leader. Experts from across the world volunteer their time to come and teach these students.

With more than 300 students, the Takatof programme is launching a massive campaign to recruit thousands of young nationals that can be called on to the aid of others. Their efforts have been utilised in school renovations, hospitals and massive clean-up projects in the desert.

Their efforts have been utilised in school renovations, hospitals, massive clean-up projects in the desert.

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