Dubai: After challenging the city to devote 30 minutes every day for 30 days to be active last month, the Dubai Crown Prince is at it again, daring Dubai residents. But this time to give back — even just one day — to the community.
Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Thursday sent SMSes to residents encouraging them to share their time and energy for a day as a volunteer in Dubai.
Are you ready to give back a #DayforDubai ? Join me at https://t.co/rNNOhWXe1f to make a difference and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global city of giving and a center of tolerance and compassion pic.twitter.com/QCtiWej96I
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 6, 2017
“Join me on www.dayfordubai.com to reinforce Dubai’s position as a global city of giving and a centre of tolerance and compassion,” Shaikh Hamdan said in the SMS.
The message was sent following the launch of the ‘Day for Dubai’ on Wednesday, which stemmed from Shaikh Hamdan’s call to residents last week to suggest how he can make a difference in people’s lives for one day on the International Volunteer Day, celebrated on December 5.
Shaikh Hamdan urged residents to dedicate their time, and go beyond typical volunteering activities, by making volunteering a lifestyle. He issued the call after leading by example on Tuesday when he volunteered to clean up trash in Dubai Marina with 25 divers.
The ‘A Day for Dubai’ app was launched for Apple and Android users on Thursday to make volunteering easy and accessible to everyone.
The app is a compilation of volunteering opportunities where residents can register and choose where they can contribute whether it’s a school, an institution, a hospital, or a government entity, an official from the developer of the app, Watani Al Emarat, told Gulf News.
Volunteering opportunities include events related to patients at hospitals, the elderly, people of determination, national events, and others.
The app also displays the date, location, number of volunteers needed, and volunteering hours for each opportunity.
Volunteers may track their accounts, log their hours, and view their specific duty and achievements. They may also request a printed certificate after completing an event.
The app will also recognise volunteers depending on their volunteering hours in an honour roll.
