DOHA: Vodafone’s fundraising challenge #GivingChallenge has raised a total of QR450,000. The challenge which was launched on the first day of Ramadan saw four Qatari youth using their social media influence to raise funds for their chosen charity.
Cartoonist Abdulaziz Yousef, Youth Activist Ibrahim Yasser, cartoonist Rashid Al Kuwari and TV Presenter Saoud Al Maadeed used their social media channels to encourage their followers to vote for their chosen charities via Vodafone’s website and for each vote, Vodafone donated QR20 to each charity.
The funds raised for each charity was revealed at the challenge’s closing ceremony on Tuesday (July 7) in the presence of VIPs, charity representatives and Vodafone’s management.
In his opening note, Mohammed Al Yami, Vodafone’s Director of External Affairs said: “When we came up with the idea to do something charitable that was new and innovative in the giving spirit of this holy month, we never expected that it would be such a huge success reaching 3 million people via social media.”
“We are so proud of the tremendous efforts that Ibrahim, Rashid, Saoud and Abdulaziz, dedicated to raising funds for their chosen charities; they are shining reflections of the exemplary youth of our great nation. The raised funds will now support the honourable work that the charities do to help thousands of underprivileged people in and out of Qatar,” said Al Yami.
RAF CEO Dr Ayed Al Qahtani praised Vodafone for its innovative fundraising challenge and its leadership in the corporate responsibility space locally and internationally. The fundraising challenge was heavily supported by the charities and leading Islamic scholars including Sheikh Dr Aaidh Alqarnee and Sheikh Sleiman Al Jlabain who used their own social media channels and various events to encourage people to vote for the charities.
The success of the #GivingChallenge has prompted Vodafone to commit to repeating the challenge next Ramadan with the promise to make it bigger and better.
The Peninsula
