27 du Employees Dedicate 94 Hours To UAE Community On Give And Gain Day 2014

du is committed to giving back to the UAE community in meaningful ways that contribute to a sustainable future. In honour of Give and Gain Day 2014, du’s employees participated in several volunteering initiatives, in partnership with Dubai Men’s College, Goumbook, Manzil, and Injaz. A total of 27 volunteers committed more than 94 hours to initiatives that ranged from hosting a workshop to discuss du’s energy efficiency measures, and to interact with special needs children at Manzil and Al Bahar primary school.

The activities participated in were organised by Dubai Chamber’s Centre of Responsible Business under its ENGAGE Dubai Initiative, to celebrate international Give and Gain Day. This marks the fourth year that ENGAGE Dubai has organised Give and Gain Day in Dubai, in acknowledgement of the global event that recognises the potential of employee volunteering.

Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Brand and Communication, du, said: “Give and Gain Day is an important event for us, as the activities we organise and participate in build a strong environment of volunteerism that is as beneficial for our employees’ engagement as it is for the community. Coming together to aid a common cause helps to develop strong bonds between colleagues and teams, nurturing a more productive environment with employees who are dedicated to giving back to the community, in whatever ways they can.”

On May 15, du’s employees took part in five events. These were:

Environment and Sustainability Tour, held in partnership with Dubai Men’s College. Employees from du’s Energy, Health, Safety and Environment, and Sustainability teams conducted a tour for Dubai Men’s College students, educating them on the company’s sustainability efforts. The students were introduced to the ways in which du implements best practices and policies for environment and sustainability across its business.

Plant a Ghaf, in partnership with Goumbook. Several volunteers joined environmental professionals at Al Barari Estate to learn more about the ghaf tree, an indigenous UAE species. They helped to repot larger ghaf seedlings, as well as reporting on the progress of the nursery’s trees.

Baking and painting with students, in partnership with Manzil. Volunteers visited Manzil, in Sharjah, where they participated in two activities – baking cookies with the students and painting a canvas for a future event. Story-telling with students, in partnership with Al Bahar primary school. du’sstaff in Fujairah visited this special needs school to participate in story-telling activities, and to present them with gifts.

du has a rich history of volunteerism, with several initiatives held throughout the year to encourage employees to give their time to the community and those in need. In 2013, 520 du employees dedicated 1,861 hours to various social, environmental and disaster relief projects.

Emirate:  Abu Dhabi

Date: May 19, 2014

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