ABU DHABI, 22nd June, 2017 (WAM) -- Over 2,000 volunteers have participated in the Ramadan activities organised by Emirates Foundation, an independent philanthropic organisation set up by the Abu Dhabi government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives to improve the welfare of youth across the UAE.

Volunteers logged over 20,000 hours of service in the community under Emirates Foundations Takatof programme, exceeding the programmes Ramadan campaign goals of 15,000 volunteering hours, while the numbers of volunteers also exceeded the targeted 1,700.

Hailing from across the UAE, volunteers showed high levels of dedication and inspiring service while taking part in a wide range of initiatives as part of the campaign. Under the theme of "Lets Make it Count", the campaign featured a wide range of community activities which seek to make a tangible impact on the lives of those in need during the Holy Month.

Commenting on the success of the Takatof Ramadan Campaign, Maytha Al Habsi, Deputy CEO at Emirates Foundation, said, "We were overwhelmed with the response of our youth, exceeding our targets both in numbers of volunteers and volunteering hours. They fully embraced their service mission and truly made it count with an open heart and the highest levels of commitment towards promoting the values, beliefs and, most importantly, the culture of volunteerism across the UAE." One initiative included gathering food and clothes from various government entities and distributing them to lower income families. This was carried out with the Takatof 'Giving Van' which drove across the country throughout Ramadan. In addition to distributing food and clothes, the van collected donations and distributed them to lower income families in the form of coupons. Volunteers also engaged in an initiative focused on renovating the houses of needy families.

The Zayed Humanitarian Day was a major milestone during the campaign where volunteers visited children and the elderly in hospitals across the nation, spending time with them, offering them small token gifts and most importantly, companionship, care and joy.

Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.