As part of du's ongoing commitment towards corporate volunteering, and in line with the Year of Giving directive, 46 du employees participated in Give and Gain Day activities in May 2017 for a total of 167.5 hours. This annual volunteering event, under the Dubai Chamber Centre for Responsible Business' Engage Dubai program, saw du employees participate in a number of activities in Dubai, Sharjah, and Fujairah to further the company's sustainability goals.
"At du, we are committed to the development of a happier UAE community, and we believe volunteering is an important part of this. The annual Give & Gain Day is a great opportunity for our employees to come together and be part of the wider UAE community and give back through this wonderful initiative," said Abdulwahed Juma, Executive Vice President, Brand and Corporate Communications, du.
du took part in a number of events across the UAE aimed at helping different communities as part of the Give and Gain Day initiative. du volunteers delivered career talk sessions on their respective professions for low income school students, participated in fitness sessions for special needs students at the Tender Hearts Arena, and helped bake and make sandwiches with special needs students at Manzil and the Rising Sun Center for Special Needs in Fujairah.
"As a responsible business, we believe in building a strong environment for volunteerism and nurturing a more engaged and productive workforce. We strive to set a benchmark for other UAE organisations to follow our lead in giving back to the community and work towards the Year of Giving directive and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which we recognize, and are dedicated to carrying out. We look forward to more volunteering programs to help improve the sustainability of the UAE, and we encourage others to volunteer through our upcoming Ramadan program," Abdulwahed added.
du has long believed that corporate volunteering delivers benefits for all involved stakeholders, and cultivates a long term shift towards positive attitudes and sustainability. Volunteering is thus a key part of the company's sustainability strategy and employee engagement efforts. This year, du has committed to mark its 10th anniversary by delivering 10,000 volunteering hours in support of the UAE's Year of Giving directive. In doing so, du is also aiming to achieve wider awareness of, and solutions towards, the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.