Saudi Gazette report
Saudi Arabia is known for its large number of philanthropists and charity givers and it has been said that many of the charities channel their resources to building mosques, digging wells or taking care of orphans.
However, a growing number of philanthropists and social activists say it is high time these organizations shift their focus on building schools and hospitals, Al-Riyadh daily reports. They say eradicating illiteracy and helping the poor pay medical bills are no less important.
Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Haijan, member of the Shoura Council’s committee on human resources management, called on charity givers to focus on the pressing issues in society such as unemployment, healthcare and education. “They can help solve these issues by promoting healthcare and education. We should focus more on building human beings,” he said.
Technology is vital in modern life and therefore more money should be spent to develop it. Charitable people should come forward to sponsor talented children because this will bring about positive change in society.
Traditional role
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Haidari is an expert on charity work. He believes that the charity sector still follows traditional methods when it comes to giving away money. “Philanthropists should think out of the box and use part of their money to find creative solutions to the pressing problems society is facing nowadays,” he said.
“We should meet the needs of the poor in society but at the same time must not forget about other pressing issues. Most charity organizations here spend money on the needy and the poor only.”
Sustainability
Dr. Saad Al-Shaheeb, nephrology professor at King Abdulaziz University, put healthcare on the top of the list of charity work.
“Anyone who feels for the sufferings of chronic condition patients, who cannot afford medical treatment, will realize that those patients are in dire need of help. The charity organizations as well as the private sector should work together with the government to alleviate the sufferings of the patients,” he said.
He called for implementing sustainable projects and spending the profits on health projects.
Mayo Clinic, one of the top-notch healthcare institutions in the world, started with charity money as a charity project. The Kingdom has so many philanthropists who would be interested in starting a sustainable healthcare project.
Adel Al-Sultan, supervisor of a religious complex in Tabuk, drew attention to the increasing number of research chairs set up at universities with the philanthropists’ money.
These chairs focus on various specialties and each one seeks to develop its own field for benefit of society.
However, they are not enough and more should be done, he said, calling on the Ministry of Social Affairs and universities to identify the actual needs that charity work should focus on.
Knowledge boom
Adeeb Al-Mehaideef, an expert on volunteer work, praised some charity organizations that introduced philanthropists to new methods and fields of charity work and raised their awareness about pressing issues such as technology, health care and education.
He called for utilizing the energy of young men and women in social work.
“The majority of our population constitute young men and women with a lot of potential and energy that need to be tapped. We should qualify them and provide them with money to start their own projects and help contribute to the national economy,” he added.
Source: Saudi Gazette
