Dubai: A Dubai resident who has been an active member in the country’s charity scene for 23 years, was appointed as Charity Initiative expert at Dar Al Ber Society, the UAE’s oldest semi-governmental charity organisation.
Juhi Yasmeen Khan, 45, from India, has been serving the society through her involvement with a number of humanitarian organisations in the UAE.
“During the last two years I have been associated with Dar Al Ber Society very closely on a project called The Friday Market, where I was involved in spreading awareness about the charity and helping them raise funds for their humanitarian activities,” Khan told Gulf News.
She said her new role is an honour and “an opportunity to serve the community in a more focused manner.”
Khan referred to some of Dar Al Ber Soceity’s objectives such as women’s empowerment and the involvement of women in charitable, humanitarian, and cultural work.
“Helping others is close to my heart. I am glad that, with the backing of the charity, I will be able to create bigger initiatives on a much bigger scale to help people in need locally and internationally,” said Khan.
Among her duties is conceptualising and executing initiatives, events, campaigns and fundraisers to heighten awareness about the charity. She will also work on raising resources to support the charity’s humanitarian activities locally and internationally.
“I will be responsible for guiding and helping people and companies interested in being involved in humanitarian activities either in their personal capacities as donors or through corporate social responsibility companies,” explained Khan.
She reassured all interested parties that, through the charity, all their “humanitarian efforts will benefit the neediest of the world in a responsible, transparent and accountable manner”.
On her new role, she said there are many major local and international initiatives that are either under way or are in the pipeline. “One of the local initiatives is called the Happiness Market by Dar Al Ber Society, which will support the government’s Happiness Initiative and the UAE’s Year of Giving. The markets are being organised with the primary aim of spreading happiness in public and raise funds for the humanitarian activities of the charity.”
The Happiness Market is a weekly pop-up market, which will be held every Friday at two public parks in Dubai, Zabeel Park and Mamzar Park, starting September 14 onwards.
“We are also working on several projects related to promoting UAE culture, happiness in the UAE, green initiatives, and educational programmes with schools. These projects will be announced soon,” said Khan.
Dar Al Ber Society, one of the oldest and biggest humanitarian organisations in UAE, has been involved in humanitarian activities for the last 38 years locally besides in 43 other countries.
The charity financially supports low-income families and needy people with their basic needs such as food, house rent, medical treatments, school fees, and clothing.
Internationally, the charity is involved in building orphanages and sponsoring orphans, digging water wells and supporting relief projects in areas affected by natural disasters such as floods and droughts.
