Al Hosn University highlights volunteer opportunities

Abu Dhabi: Al Hosn University opens a volunteer programme, as a part of the American Corner, to educate the general public about the many volunteer opportunities which exist in the UAE.

“The Volunteer Fair is the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi, and is an excellent way to continue to develop strong relations with the community and to provide students and faculty with opportunities to make new connections,” says Dr Raymond Tennant, provost and professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The American Corner was inaugurated last year to promote mutual understanding and the exchange of ideas between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. It is one of four such facilities in the UAE. The others are in Fujairah, Al Ain and HCT Madinat Zayed.

The Volunteer Fair provides a platform for organisations in the area to educate the general public about the many volunteer opportunities which exist in the UAE as well as networking space for volunteers to communicate with each other.

Over 15 social organisations gathered for this first-annual fair to highlight the work of various UAE-based volunteer organisations and set a platform to educate the general public about the many volunteer opportunities which exist in the UAE, and to give representatives of various charities and non-profits the chance to network and share their accomplishments with other members in their field.

During its first seven years, Al Hosn University focused on developing undergraduate and graduate programmes in business, engineering, and education as well as research projects. But, encouraging the public to engage in volunteering extracurricular activities is a job with rewards and challenges that are different than classroom education. “Since community service and volunteering are not as prevalent in the UAE as they are in western countries, the major challenge is in getting started. However, many of the organisations at the Volunteer Fair were proof that it is possible to create a successful volunteer organisation,” says Dr Tennant.

Al Hosn University is discussing the possibility of making engagement activities as part of the educational curriculum.

“Schools and universities can educate young people to ways in which they can give back to their individual communities. Families can make volunteering a part of their activities by looking for events they can participate together. As with most cultures, the education of young people plays an important role in preparing the community to engage in new activities like volunteerism. The students attending the Volunteer Fair were exposed to many new ideas,” says Tennant.

According to him, the Volunteer Fair exceeded all expectations with students, faculty, and organisations giving positive feedback about what they had learned from one another and with regard to potential volunteer plans. He considers this a step in changing the outlook of a generation for the better.

“This one fair is just the beginning, and should become an annual event at Al Hosn. If the concept of volunteerism is promoted to the extent that everyone is aware of volunteer opportunities and actively participates, after two or three years there should be a fair number of volunteers at work throughout the UAE,” hopes Tennant.

Participating organisations included Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, Emirates Foundation, Ewa’a Shelters for Women and Children, Operation Smile, Gulf4Good, Tamm Volunteer Programme, Takatof, New England Center for Children, Abu Dhabi Cause Connect and others.

“The Volunteer Fair has a three-fold purpose: to fulfil a need for many adult community members who want to volunteer and do not know where to begin, to provide a platform for organisations to introduce their work to the community, and to familiarise community members with alternative ways of thinking about volunteer work,” says Amanda Tinnin, English instructor in Al Hosn Department of English and the founder of Speak Louder.

“It was really a labour of love for the students, staff, and faculty.”

Says Mohammdd Al Romaithi, International Business senior student, “Every citizen should give at least an hour of his time back to the society. Now we know where and how to do that. There is a misconception about the young generation. People think that we are very self-indulgent but this is not true. We want to help but just didn’t know how.”

Ahmad Al Suwaidi, student council president, says, “In this campaign, we were introduced to a variety of organisations where we can volunteer.”