DOHA: Vodafone’s hugely successful fundraising challenge, #GivingChallenge has raised a total of QR450,000, the company announced here the other day.
The challenge, launched on the first day of Ramadan, saw four Qatari youths using their social media influence to raise funds for their chosen charity.
Cartoonists Abdulaziz Yousef and Rashid al-Kuwari, youth activist Ibrahim Yasser 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 in the presence of VIPs, charity representatives and Vodafone’s management.
The four participants were delighted to learn of the amounts raised. RAF chosen by Ibrahim Yasser raised QR121,980; Qatar Charity chosen by Rashid al-Kuwari – QR115,000; EID Charity chosen by Saoud al-Maadeed – QR113,000 and Qatar Red Crescent chosen by Abdulaziz Yousef – QR100,020.
In his opening note, Mohamed 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 3mn 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,” added 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.
