Dubai: There was a time when Shaikha Saif Al Mansouri believed that volunteering was just about donating money or being involved in activities targeted at a segment of the society. Her opinion changed in 2007 when she was invited to give an awareness lecture by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) on a topic she was passionate about. She was about to embark on a mission that would see her give back to society in abundance — by driving and training hundreds of new volunteers.
Al Mansouri, a senior Emirati volunteer with ERC, is driven by the belief that “every segment in the community has a talent or an interest they can use to contribute back to society. The volunteering industry has no limits”.
After the lecture, she knew what her path was.
“At that time, I was working in the environment and health department at Dubai Municipality and ERC invited me to be part of their community programmes in giving lectures about the environment and other causes that matter to society. The experience made me realise how I can use my knowledge in my volunteering efforts.”
Soon, she found herself involved in several activities the ERC would organise on a regular basis for the elderly, orphans, the underprivileged and people with special needs. At the same time, she was attracting new volunteers and training them to channel their passion into volunteer work.
“I felt that what I was doing was something different from the work routine — interacting with various segments and meeting volunteers from different backgrounds and nationalities. Even though I had a full-time job and other responsibilities, I found myself volunteering during weekends and holidays,” she said.
A year ago, Al Mansouri, who is in her 30s, moved to work as the head of the community outreach unit at the Community Development Authority in the disability department. And in every initiative she was invited to volunteer in, she learnt something new.
“It’s such a precious moment when you know that you were the reason behind an elderly person’s smile. In many of the activities we organised for the elderly, we visited them, made them feel loved, got them presents and interacted with them.”
The happiness she experienced after each volunteering activity gave her the impetus to persevere. “I felt that I couldn’t leave this field.
As registered volunteers, we constantly get invitations to be part of an activity, and I try to be a part of all of them. I also like bringing in new ideas even if I can’t join. This is also a way of volunteering.”
Having developed a wealth of experience in volunteering, especially on how to lead volunteering teams, organise humanitarian functions and handle relief and charitable activities outside the country, Al Mansouri has been honoured many times for her contributions.
She believes more needs to be done to create sustainable volunteering in the country.
“There are many people who want to become volunteers, but they need to be directed. When I train new volunteers at ERC, I have to focus on knowing their background and hidden talents,” says Al Mansouri. “This way, we can get them to be involved in volunteer work they could be best at and ensure they stay in the field the longest time possible.”
Keeping volunteers motivated to stay the course is a critical priority, according to her. “It is important to find a way to keep them motivated and engaged; I came to realise this over the years as I trained new volunteers,” said Al Mansouri, who is continuing her executive master’s in public administration at the Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government.
She believes there is a greater awareness on the idea of volunteering in the country. “The concept of volunteering has expanded and an understanding of its role is growing. My mission now is to spread the message on how private and public sector entities need to equip people with talent through training, which they can use in some sort of volunteering.
“Entities need to think beyond the Year of Giving and work on making volunteering sustainable.”
The concept of volunteering, according to her, is expansive as well as inclusive. The young and the old, with skills in a spectrum of domains, can give back to society, she said.
She cited an example: “With youth who like sports, we can get them to volunteer in a sporting contest for people with special needs where they can coach them. Also, if more people are trained in first aid, they can help train others.”
The key to making volunteering a grass-root movement is to think beyond financial contributions, said Al Mansouri. “Everyone should see what they are interested in. Everyone has a responsibility towards society and volunteering is a way to learn new things and gain knowledge.”
She also encouraged people to register as volunteers in ERC as well as offer suggestions. “Contributing with your suggestions, ideas and initiatives is an act of volunteering even if you can’t be there physically.”
