Ooredoo’s companies are reaching out to communities across their international footprint during Ramadan, as the company undertakes some of the widest-reaching social programmes in its history.
This year, Ooredoo’s companies - with nearly 93mn customers in markets as diverse as Qatar, Indonesia, Iraq, Tunisia and Palestine - have placed particular emphasis on activities that actively engage local communities, building on the core values of caring, connecting and challenging.
HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud al-Thani, chairman of Ooredoo, said: “There are moments in life that bring people together, as families and as communities, and we are a company that is dedicated to supporting these precious moments. During the holy month of Ramadan, it is always a source of pride to see so many of our employees volunteering their time and creativity and engaging with the people.”
Ooredoo has adapted its approach to corporate social responsibility in recent years, moving beyond funding and sponsoring activities to actively creating opportunities for employees and customers to get involved and give back to their communities.
In Qatar, Ooredoo has launched the Alrabaa (friends) campaign, which has seen a colourful group of characters embark on a month-long programme of hospital visits, charitable activities and small acts of kindness for people across the country.
The company has also launched a television contest for people with ideas for charitable programmes to raise awareness and receive public support on a nightly Ramadan programme. The contestants have suggested a range of environmental, social and charitable initiatives and the programme has created a national dialogue on the best ways to help others during the holy month.
In Iraq, volunteers from Asiacell have distributed food packages for poor families and gifts for orphans in areas as diverse as Sulaimanya, Erbil, Baghdad, Mosul and Basra.
Nawras of Oman has begun the ninth Goodwill Journey, which travels across the country to support Omani families and communities with donations that improve their daily lives in a sustainable way. The Nawras Goodwill Journey, which began as a suggestion from employees back in 2005, has helped more than 7,000 families in need and travelled over 48,000km across Oman since its inception.
This year, as part of the company’s aim to enhance services for women in the Sultanate, Nawras is working with the Omani Women’s Association to enhance a range of programmes, including educating women in handicraft industries, establishing charitable projects and conducting awareness seminars
Wataniya has also been busy, in Kuwait and Palestine, with a range of charitable and community engagement initiatives. In Kuwait, Wataniya is distributing free Iftar meals, sponsoring celebrations for the traditional children’s festival of Garangao and sponsoring the healthy living campaign, “Do It Smart”.
As part of its “Lanterns Filled with Good” campaign, Wataniya Mobile Palestine is supporting a variety of community-based projects, including aid work in refugee camps, sponsoring Ramadan tents and helping local business owners.
In Algeria, Nedjmais is working with Algerian Red Crescent to provide foodstuff to the needy and supporting donations for people with special needs and sick children. Tunisiana has focused on healthy living and development in 2013, with a range of activities designed to keep people active and engaged
during Ramadan.
In Indonesia, Indosat has used the theme “1,000 Blessings” to help raise funds for special charities. For every tweet that customers send in the programme, Indosat is making a donation to a special fund for school rebuilding and development.
The company is also organising its first blood drive, encouraging employees and volunteers to donate blood in a major tour of 10 cities.