DUBAI, Private sector companies and businesses in the UAE and abroad found innovative ways to contribute to the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign, the first humanitarian campaign of its kind in the Arab world to provide food parcels for disadvantaged individuals and families across 30 countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America during the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Some companies allocated a percentage of their sales revenue during Ramadan, or on weekends, as proceeds in support of the campaign, while other companies collected donations for the campaign from their customers and doubled the total donations as part of their CSR programme. Moreover, some companies and startups crowdfunded donations for the campaign through certified digital platforms such as YallaGive.
These initiatives of private sector companies reflect the impact of great community engagement achieved by the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign.
At Avaya International, a multinational technology company that specialises in providing communication and collaboration solutions among colleagues, employees in the Middle East and Africa region collectively donated more than 100,000 meals in support of the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign.
The hybrid event was hosted in Dubai, with 100 UAE-based employees joining in-person, and a further 100 employees joining virtually from abroad via Avaya’s video collaboration platform, Avaya Spaces. Over 30 minutes, employees from the wider GCC and Africa, all spoke up and committed personal donations, aiming to collectively reach a grand total of 100,000 meals.
Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President for Avaya International, said, “I am extremely proud of the Avaya team in the Middle East and Africa region who, regardless of their origins and beliefs, have personally stepped up to contribute to initiative. This demonstrates that the campaign’s spirit is universal and demonstrates once again that the leadership of this country has humanity at the heart of its vision.”
The 100 Million Meals campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is managed by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, in cooperation with the UN World Food Programme, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Food Banking Regional Network, and local food banks and humanitarian and charity institutions in beneficiary countrie.
The campaign comes as part of the UAE’s generous efforts to support the second of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition in the world by 2030.
More than 820 million people are undernourished globally, including 52 million people across the Middle East and North Africa region. Malnutrition contributes to about 45% of deaths in children under-5 years of age and hunger claims a child’s life every 10 seconds. Hunger causes more deaths than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
Contributions from startups, SMEs, family businesses, and large conglomerates have been flowing since the launch of the 100 Million Meals campaign two days before the start of Ramadan, and have helped it reach its target within 10 days.
Donations to the 100 Million Meals campaign can be made in four ways. First, on the campaign website www.100millionmeals.ae, second, by contacting the campaign call center on the toll-free number 8004999, third, via the designated bank account through Dubai Islamic Bank (AE08 0240 0015 2097 7815 201), and fourth, by sending the word “????” in Arabic or “Meal” in English by SMS on specified numbers via the Du or Etisalat networks in the UAE.
Initially, the campaign was launched to provide food support for the hungry in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia during the Holy Month of Ramadan, but soon expanded to also include South America and Europe, reaching countries such as: Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Tunisia, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Angola, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burundi, Benin, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Kosovo and Brazil.
Source: Emirates News Agency