Interest in volunteerism is growing among university students and is now supported by the Kingdom's leadership. “I foresee a very bright future for volunteerism in Saudi Arabia, which is now taking root in the Eastern Province. We have the support of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, and Prince Naif, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior,” said Dr. Salem Aldini, Assistant Dean of the College of Applied and Support Studies for Skills Development at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and Director of the Voluntary Work Unit at KFUPM where the volunteerism movement was started by Saudi students. Aldini said various government departments, particularly the Ministry of Social Affairs, are currently supporting the volunteerism movement. “We have the enthusiasm of the youth. We need to build a strong foundation, institutionalize voluntary work, and set up regulations and policies for volunteerism,” said Aldini, who brought the concept of volunteerism to KFUPM from his experience as a volunteer worker in the United States. He said he was deeply involved in community services in the USA before and after 9/11. “I can tell you that volunteerism and community services help bring people together for the benefit of the community despite their religion, background, ethnicity, etc. People work together towards the common values they share,” he added. “My involvement in volunteer work in the US helped clarify many misconceptions about Muslims especially when people see you helping in the community. I benefited from the professionalism and experience of the many volunteers I worked with in many universities across the US, having started in 1982 at Texas A&M University during my studies there.” Aldini is organizing the Second Volunteering Day at KFUPM on Mar. 12 with over 2,000 students, faculty members and staff. More than 30 government and non-government organizations (NGOs) are joining the event. The Second Volunteering Day will be followed by a Volunteering Fair from Mar. 13-16 at KFUPM with 50 social, cultural, environmental, health care, educational, and charitable organizations taking part. Aldini explained the history of the volunteerism movement at KFUPM. “Last year, the university took the initiative to establish the Voluntary Work Unit as part of the skills development program under the College of Applied and Support Studies. The Voluntary Work Unit is one of the arms of the university through which members of the university provide community services to the larger community of the Eastern Province in coordination with non-profit organizations. These activities are diversified and include social, cultural, environmental, healthcare, educational, and humanitarian activities. Also students volunteer through professional societies based on their field of study.” Aldini said that the Voluntary Work Unit aims to allow students to improve their skills, discover their potential, and fulfill part of their social responsibility toward their community and nation. The unit also develops 15 components in managing volunteers, including the reward system, membership system, marketing system, and training program, and also helps in designing curriculum based on community service programs. On the First Volunteering Day last year, 1,500 volunteers participated in activities, such as cleaning beaches and holding environment awareness programs for children. In addition, volunteers also distributed food products and furniture, and provided entertainment and educational programs for the poor, orphans and elderly confined in social centers. Patients in central and rehabilitation hospitals, including those in the psychiatric wards, were provided with material aids, and prison inmates were also visited.
