Saher Shaikh set out to make a difference by founding Adopt-a-Camp in 2005.
As the name suggests, over the past eight years, they’ve given over 40,000 labourers the greatest gift a human could want — care.
Adopt-a-Camp provides them with free English classes, vocational classes, emotional counselling, hygiene workshops and sightseeing trips around Dubai.
Last year, they initiated the Ramadan Care Packages event, which was attended by 8,000 volunteers. This year, the event spanned out over two days and brought in more than 10,000 volunteers.
It was hosted at the Shaikh Rashid Hall of the Dubai World Trade Centre and marked the occasion of Zayed Humanitarian Day in the UAE.
On July 27, hoards of volunteers arrived to deliver, move and unpack supplies. The next day, July 28, saw children and adults pack approximately 5,000 care packages in less than three hours. The volunteers were allocated specific tasks like unloading from the delivery trucks, taking care package items to the supplies area and setting up tables with supplies. Every volunteer left with a certificate and an immeasurable sense of happiness.
The event culminated on July 29 when all the care packages were distributed to the labourers at various camps in Dubai.
The packages delivered fresh clothes, toiletries, blankets and other items of daily use to the labourers.
Adopt-a-Camp is essentially a voice with only one request; to spare some time today, tomorrow and every following day and finding someone who is different from you, someone who you would usually ignore or walk away from and tell them that you do care. This is my request, too. If we want to make a difference, this is how we can do it. This is where we can start.
The reader is a student based in Dubai.
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