Reach Out To Asia distributes and installs household appliances
Doha , QATAR , 30 September, 2007 - Qatar based NGO Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) has been distributing household appliances as part of its ROTAQ Ramadan Program.
The initiative, which benefits 15 families, communicates ROTA's commitment to the community and underlines the social values and the spirit of sharing during the holy month. As part of the initiative, each family receives household appliancesdetermined through a needs analysis.
The families targeted through this initiative, often times will share appliances with other families; such as a communal freezer for storing and keeping their food. They may also gather in a central air conditioned room in the summer, in lieu of being able to afford enough air conditioners for an entire house.
David Burton , Volunteer Program Manager at ROTA, said: "Our year-round spirit to serve our communities is a great source of pride and we are happy to lend a helping hand to the families in helping improve their quality of life during the holy month. The initiative is a great indication of the strong spirit of volunteerism in Qatar and we hope our efforts continue to help educate the volunteers about service learning and enhance the spirit of giving. It is also a great opportunity for the volunteers to learn more about the needs of people in their own community and the different ways of helping."
In addition to involving volunteers in community initiatives, the program is designed to educate volunteers on the importance of giving back, working with others and to get volunteers together from different cultures and countries interacting and working towards the same goals.
Among the appliances distributed and installed are 26 air-conditioners, eight washing machines, eight refrigerators and two freezers. The appliances have been donated by ROTA supporters - Mannai Corporation, Jumbo Electronics and Al-Muftah Group.
Also contributing were the staff of THE One, known as Onederworkers, who helped distribute the appliances alongside volunteers and staff from ROTA.
Gaby Salome, store manager of THE One, had this to say about the partnership: "THE One tries to help when and wherever we can throughout the year getting involved in numerous philanthropic activities. Over Ramadan, we always try to do something special, for example, last year we had the Ramadan clothing Drop Off and a home remodelling project for Eid. When we heard that ROTA was reaching out to local communities, we thought it was the perfect opportunity for the 'Onederworkers' to lend a hand and help bring a little joy into the lives of those less fortunate."
Feras Abdul-Majid , a volunteer from Qatar Leadership Academy, spoke of his experience with the Ramadan Program: "It is an experience that makes us feel very helpful to those who are in need, and at the same time, makes us appreciate what we have even more. It is also an experience that we will never regret. After finishing the work, I felt that I had done a service to these people and that gave me even more satisfaction, because I was working and fasting at the same time. "
For further details on the ROTA initiatives during Ramadan, send an email to rota@qf.org.qa, or phone 480 0296.
