Dubai: Two major earthquakes, over a hundred aftershocks and 8,500 casualties later, the Nepalese continue to stay strong with the effort in rebuilding their homeland.
Keeping in mind that true strength lies in unity, Dubai-based non-profit initiative Flea4Charity has teamed up with the UAE Red Crescent to combine efforts and supplement their aid-drive towards helping earthquake-ridden Nepal in finding its footing again.
Flea4Charity’s appointed network of volunteers are actively collecting a list of crucial aid donations in almost every part of the city to make it easier for you to donate. These collections are being sorted, packed and flown to Nepal on a regular basis as you read this. The focus for the first few weeks has remained on crucial supplies that are immediately relevant to the affected, such as tents, blankets, warm clothing, and dry food.
Support so far has been heartwarming, with volunteers rushing to donate or help in whatever ways they can.
UAE-based pharmaceutical giant Julphar was the first corporate to jump onboard by making a medicinal aid donation of over Dh500,000 in value. Learning about the campaign via social media and word-of-mouth, entities such as DUCTAC, Mall of the Emirates, Arjaan Rotana and Children’s Garden Kindergarten have reached out to Flea4Charity to enlist as collection points, or run internal donation drives with hundreds of employees volunteering donations, time, space and effort towards the same noble goal. Seeing this kind of support from the local community serves as a great reminder of the warmth and solidarity of our united nation.
With the first phase of collections coming to a wrap with a packing session running all day at DUCTAC Mall of the Emirates this Saturday, May 23, Flea4Charity is readying up to embark onto the next phase immediately. The campaign requests your continuing support in the following ways:
-
Local Logistics – The campaign requires a pickup or 1-tonne truck to consolidate collections from all drop-off points to a central location in Dubai on a biweekly basis.
-
Corporate Donations – Corporates are welcome to support the effort from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective with product donations, or even hosting a collection run within the company and making a bulk aid drop off.
- Packaging Supplies – Donations of packaging supplies like cardboard boxes, industrial cling-wrap, plastic ropes, polybags and such are a constant requirement.
If you would like to help with any of the above, get in touch with Sajid Esmail, a member of Flea4Charity, through email at Sajid@Flea4Charity.com.
Additionally, we’re looking for volunteers. Help out with sorting and packing routines as and when they are announced by signing up on www.flea4charity.com/contact.
Follow the current conversations around the campaign and spread the word using #Act4Nepal. You can also find more details on the Flea4Charity’s social media channels, via Facebook and Twitter.
- The reader is a volunteer with Flea4Charity based in Dubai.
Be a community reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Send us your videos and pictures at readers@gulfnews.com
