1 Clean a beach
The Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi, or EAD for short, runs various volunteer programmes, mainly consisting of beach clean-up campaigns along Abu Dhabi’s endless shoreline. These, rather sensibly, tend to take place during the cooler months (Feb-Mar and Oct-Dec), but there is as yet no structured volunteer programme, so to get involved, email customerservice@ead.ae to put your name down on the waiting list. Other than the clean-up operations, volunteers are also required to help raise awareness of environmental issues, which often translates as guest speaking at schools or helping with exhibitions. As yet, no volunteers can be accommodated for the more glamourous jobs such as turtle tracking or coastguard duties, but this may change in the future. Keep an eye out.
2 Join a committee
Abu Dhabi Mums is a volunteer organisation originally set up as a social meeting club for mothers with pre-school children. Since then, its numbers have swelled, with over 400 members of nearly 50 different nationalities, and so have its aims. Promoting the physical, cognitive and social development of children of six years and under, at its heart it is still a voluntary organisation, and it welcomes mums (with children of the appropriate age) willing to run groups, join the committee, help with projects, or apply for one of the coordinator positions. Visit www.abudhabimums.ae or email ad_mums@emirates.net.ae for more information.
3 Decorate a house
During Ramadan, Takatof volunteers conducted case studies on a number of families in disadvantaged areas of the northern Emirates. It found that house renovations were the most common gripe. Building upon that information, they have since started organising teams of volunteers to help renovate and fix up homes belonging to the individuals in most need. Only the most basic of renovation skills (painting, cleaning, fixing and reassembling) are required of those participating, although the organisers are keen to engage volunteers with engineering experience. Call 800 852 2863 or visit www.takatof.ae for more information.
4 Make friends with a horse
Launched in 1998, you will have to travel to become involved in the Riding for the Disabled Association of Dubai. The charity itself is based around therapeutic riding and is designed to help people with autism, Down’s syndrome and learning difficulties. As a volunteer, you will become either a leader (the one who leads the horse) or a sidewalker (there to assist the student if required). Classes are held at Dubai’s Desert Palm and schedules vary. Contact the administrator on 04 323 8003 to get involved and visit www.rdad.ae to download an application form.
5 Teach children
The Abu Dhabi Special Care Centre helps children with physical and mental disabilities, and whilst the centre itself is run by specialists and trained teachers, they are always on the look out for volunteers to assist with the teaching. Call 02 641 8418 for more information about how to get involved.
6 Get baking
Work needn’t be an obstacle to the eager volunteer. Why not find a good cause and start your own weekly lunchtime bake sales. Office workers are the bake sale equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel. Nine hours sat in front of a computer screen means that the sight of a well-crafted fairy cake can often drive the over-stressed office employee into reverie, allowing you to charge them an arm and a leg. After all, it’s for charity. Check out www.joyofbaking.com for some classic ideas.
7 Adopt a pooch
They’re not known as ‘man’s best friend’ for nothing! Strays of Abu Dhabi, or SAD for short, runs a dog rescue charity out of the US Veterinary Clinic (050 130 7392) and is always on the lookout for suitable adoptive owners. But if that’s too much of a commitment, it also requires temporary foster parents prepared to home a dog for a few months, to get them used to a domestic environment. And finally, if that’s too much, you can volunteer as a dog walker – after all, it’s good exercise.
8 Make a run for it
February 19 sees the return of the annual Terry Fox Run to Abu Dhabi, the 8.5km marathon held across the world in aid of cancer research. It’s not a race, so you can walk, skate or run, it doesn’t matter, so long as you help raise money. Or if you’re not up to the exercise, you can still make a difference. Organisers are also looking for people to help volunteer with running the event, from joining the committee and selling T-shirts in the malls (all ages welcome, but teenagers must be accompanied by an adult) to helping out on the day with registration or acting as run marshals. The race itself is held on the Corniche outside the Sheraton Abu Dhabi (registration 7.30am). Email abudhabiterryfoxrun@gmail.com for more information, or visit www.terryfoxrun.org.
9 Have a clear out
Thrift stores, or charity shops, aren’t that common in the UAE, which is odd given the amount of disposable goods shed when expats shuffle off this mortal Emirate. Abu Dhabi’s lone thrift store, St Andrew’s Church (02 446 4193, located off the Airport Road), is run by a group of 20 volunteers (largely female and from the church). It always needs manning and accepts donations of clothes, toys, electrical equipment and all the usual bric-a-brac you find in a charity shop. Have a clear out and see what you can find. Alternatively, there is a local Abu Dhabi branch of Freecycle (it’s like eBay for free) run on Yahoo Groups. Visit www.freecycle.org for a link.
10 Volunteer a teen
Calling all teenagers! It’s time to get out of bed, turn off the Xbox and scrape the remains of last night’s pizza into the bin. Teens 4 Positive Action is a volunteer non-profit group run from Dubai which does work across the UAE for those in need, from helping the homeless and disadvantaged children to raising environmental awareness. In short: changing the world. Call 050 452 7780 or visit www.teens4pa.org for more information on how you can help.
11 Clean the desert
ME4x4, as you could probably guess from the name, is a group of 4×4 enthusiasts who organise trips across the UAE and Omani desert. It’s free for club members, and as an added incentive for the public-spirited, those involved also organise desert clean-up trips (although members are always encouraged to take any rubbish they find away with them on their weekly trips). Visit www.me4x4.com for more information and to keep an eye on when and where the next clean-up operation is to be held.
12 Rehome a cat
Cat cuddling might sound like an occupation best reserved for private, but it is a necessary part of the feline rehoming process – as is helping trap stray cats, fostering them until homes can be found, raising awareness of the importance of sterilisation in street cats, going on emergency calls and donating your time to making things to sell on stalls and garage sales. The work of a Feline Friends volunteer is both colourful and varied. Visit www.felinefriendsuae.com to download a volunteer form.
13 Perform a random act
No, we’re not saying do something strange or wacky, but rather try your hand at some voluntary ‘random acts of kindness’. Buy flowers for someone you don’t know in hospital, drive an elderly neighbour to the shops (if they want to go – don’t force them!), surprise someone you know with something they actually want for a change. Then just sit back and watch the karmic points come rolling in.
14 Have an eco-holiday
Holidays aren’t just about lying around and enjoying the sun. Check out Close Encounters (www.southern-africa.co.uk) for a variety of conservation volunteer holidays. No matter whether you opt for an education safari in Kenya or dolphin conservation in South Africa, one thing is certain, it will get messy; but at the end of the day you’ll be left with a suntan and a massive sense of achievement.
15 Give blood
Given the amount of traffic accidents in the UAE, giving blood regularly seems like a wise investment (more a loan than a donation). But most importantly, it might save someone’s life. Donation is open to those over 18, although you must have a resident’s visa. Your medical history will be checked for chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension, and there is screening for infectious diseases like Hepatitis A and B, Syphilis and HIV. Donors can safely give two to three times a year, we are told, so if you want to become a regular donor, visit the Abu Dhabi Blood Bank (02 494 0400), near Khalidiya Mall, on Sun-Thu 7.30am-9pm; Sat 8am-1pm.
16 Help the poor
Médecins Sans Frontières is well known for its work overseas. Volunteer health professionals in all fields, administrators and logistics staff are sought for international projects in desperately poor areas of the world. Non medical volunteers are usually skilled in admin, finance, sanitation or construction, with at least two years professional experience a necessity. The average mission lasts six months, but if you don’t fit any of the profiles, don’t despair, you can still participate closer to home. MSF is always looking for volunteers to raise awareness and educate the public across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, ranging from helping at events to making presentations and manning the office. Call 02 631 7645 or visit www.msfuae.org for more information.
17 Be on the look out
ForeSight is a UAE-based non-profit organisation offering support to the Emirates’ blind community. Volunteers are welcome in a variety of fields, although Arabic translators and those skilled in photography, film or who own a printing press are particularly welcome. But positions are also available to help organise events, manage the image library and handle administration. Volunteers are also needed for counselling positions and to help with ‘white stick training’. Call 04 391 1443 for more information or visit www.foresightrp.com.
18 Volunteer overseas
Launched just over a year ago, Takatof runs an international volunteer programme aimed at providing a dash of Abu Dhabi philanthropy overseas. 2008 saw the team visit Morocco, where they helped renovate schools, arrange entertainment for orphans and participate in beach clean-up operations. This year, the project location is as yet undecided, but the programme will run from June to August, with interviews and orientation preceding the 20-day trip. To sign up and for more info, call 800 852 2863.
19 Meet some crafty kids
Calling all artists! Launched by the Al Madad Foundation, START works across the Middle East using art as a means to heal, educate and empower kids from disadvantaged areas. They don’t have a permanent teaching team, but instead rely on practising artists and arts professionals to fundraise, donate art work, set up workshops, offer studio visits and run lectures to teach kids everything from oil painting to how to develop film. Every artistic bent from puppeteers, sculptors and draughtsmen to filmmakers, curators and architects are invited to participate. Call 04 368 1128 or visit
www.startworld.org for more information.
20 Renovate a school
Takatof is a social volunteering organisation based in Abu Dhabi, backed by the Emirates Foundation, and aimed at giving young Emiratis a chance to develop their social conscience, but don’t let that deter you – anyone, regardless of nationality or age, can join. Amongst their major ongoing projects are school renovations, designed to give volunteers an opportunity for semi-skilled manual work in revamping run-down schools around the UAE. Activities range from painting and cleaning to gardening and site clearing. Projects are currently ongoing in Fujairah, Dubai’s Al Quoz area, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, with another project set to begin soon in Abu Dhabi’s Western region. Call 800 852 2863 or visit www.takatof.ae for more information.
21 Take on a challenge
There was a time when submerging yourself in a bathtub of baked beans was the most that charity could demand of you. Well, times have changed (thankfully) and discovering a bean where it oughtn’t be is now the least of your worries. Avoiding poisonous snakes and spiders is more de rigueur for the modern charity volunteer, particularly those involved with UAE organisation Gulf 4 Good (04 368 0222; www.gulf4good.org) whose participants tend to explore the inner reaches of some of the more intrepid landscapes the world has to offer, all in the aid of raising funds for handpicked charities in that region. Challenges for 2009 include cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia (Mar-Apr); the India Adventure (May); The Inca Trail (July), and the Annapurna Circuit Trek (Oct).
22 Help a hospital
There are a number of volunteer hospital schemes operating throughout the UAE. Takatof (800 852 2863; www.takatof.ae) runs a volunteer program in Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Khalifa Medical Centre. Volunteers must be over 21, and after an interview and selection process, overseen by both the hospital and Takatof, you will undergo a process of orientation before being shown how to deal with patients and assess their needs. Training with regards to equipment and hospital policy is also provided. Positions range from administration and reception duties to simply making sure the patients are comfortable. A minimum of two hours, two days a week is required; after that, times can be negotiated. Hospitals running this scheme include Tawam, Al Ain; Rashid Hospital, Dubai; Saqer Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah, and also hospitals in Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.
23 Be a good sport
Abu Dhabi’s Future Centre is about helping students with special needs to develop the skills needed for life. The term restarts on January 4, and whilst they currently have enough in-school classroom assistants, volunteers (especially men) are needed for helping teach PE (football, basketball, bowling etc) and swimming. Students in the past have competed in the Paraolympics, so someone who knows what they’re doing is a must. Volunteers will have to undergo a short interview, and then, if successful, a trial period can be arranged. Call 02 666 0923 or visit www.future-centre.com for more information.
24 Make a few phone calls
Sometimes the best way to help is simply to get the word out. Takatof has links to various local charitable organisations, engaging volunteers to raise public awareness for important campaigns. It’s thankless work (although volunteering is its own reward), and generally involves distributing leaflets and trying to engage the public, so those who hate rejection might want to look elsewhere. 2009 sees Takatof helping out with Abu Dhabi’s new road safety campaign. A worthy cause indeed.
25 Get walking
The first of the Sharanis Walking Groups are being launched this month in Abu Dhabi on January 17. The walks are aimed at raising money for the Dhaka Project and will be held three times a week, morning and night, throughout the year (except summer) on the Corniche (at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi) and the Raha International School in Khalifa City simultaneously. Walkers are encouraged to purchase vests at Dhs150 for adults and Dhs125 for children, with 100 per cent of all monies raised going to help support families and children in the Dhaka province of Bangladesh. To find out more about joining the groups, call Sharon Moore on 050 876 7521 or 02 556 2601.
How are you planning to live a better 2009? Drop an email to www.timeoutabudhabi@itp.com. Or if you try any of our ideas, let us know how you get.
