Investing in future generations main focus of 2016 sustainability projects: Zain
Zain announced that sustainability projects it recently launched and adopted occupied a great part of its 2016 strategy, through which it renewed its full support to social responsibility initiatives as a commercial firm seeking true partnership with various sections of the society. In this regard, a press release issued by Kuwait's leading telecom company stressed its commitment to sustainability projects and its leadership of the private sector's social activities.
Zain stressed that it owes a great deal of its initiatives' success to integrating sustainability in all its decisions and major steps taken toward encouraging creativity and shifting to a knowledgebased economy. It also stressed its belief in supporting leadership and developing and building skills amongst youth as the main foundations of achieving sustainable development.
Zain said that its suitability initiatives confirmed its commitment to finding effective means to improve future generations' skills through a series of programs and campaigns launched throughout 2016 with a major focus on the most important social issues. Notably, Zain has recorded major initiatives in various fields driven by its realization of the need to contribute in providing the society with various tools to achieve sustainable development.
Gold Award for Excellence in Social Responsibility
On the sidelines of the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility (ASRORG) regional forum and 11th annual ceremony held at Roudhat Al-Bostan Hotel in Dubai, Zain was awarded the ASRORG Gold Award for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility for the third time, thanks to the initiatives and programs it launched through 2016.
Notably, ASRORG allocated the award to highlight leading sustainability experiences in the Middle East, as various Arab leading and administrative figures from both the public and private sectors took part in the forum in view of the growing international and Arab attention given to the concept of social responsibility.
FUN program for university students
Zain's Future University Network initiative, known as FUN, addresses university students' development by investing in their potentials. It was launched in 2008 with the aim of nurturing young ambitious minds and developing their skills through encouraging the spirit of teamwork, participation, creating a proper working environment, enrolling students in various company sections and providing them with opportunities that would make positive contributions. This initiative's vision involves establishing a network of young leaders capable of enriching economic and social lives in their communities.
Sponsoring NUKS' annual conference
Zain has been the most outstanding sponsor of the annual conference of the National Union of Kuwait Students (NUKS) USA for the past 13 years. In 2016, it sponsored the 33rd conference held under the title of "A Conscientious Generation for an Everlasting Nation."
Supporting the 'Give Them a Chance' campaign
Within Zain's Humane Strategy Partnership with KRCS, the company donated KD 30,000 to the 'Give Them a Chance' campaign dedicated to educating children in Kuwait, which aims at providing children whose families cannot afford tuition with equal educational chances.
Partnership with LOYAC
For over 12 years now, Zain has been the main partner of LOYAC, the project that aims at developing youth talents and potentials and has been annually training 2,000 students, which perfectly matches the company's youth-directed strategy and helps develop youth potentials in a way that eventually achieves the state economy's greater good. Doing this, Zain hosts LOYAC youth in special field training programs where they get opportunities to explore the nature of work in various company departments.
Sponsoring the 'Youth Empowerment' Conference
In 2016 Zain continued its sponsorship of the 5th National Academic Youth Empowerment Symposium (Tamkeen) held under auspices of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. It is still the conference's main sponsor since it was first launched four years earlier.
Strategic Partnership with 'Injaz'
Zain also participated in the Entrepreneurship Master Class competition organized by Injaz, where the company's employees mentored and guided middle school students in a professional setting. The Entrepreneurship Master Class (EMC) competition aimed at encouraging young students from across Kuwait's public middle schools to consider a business career and educate them about the opportunities and skills associated with establishing a business and becoming young entrepreneurs.
Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
The annual breast cancer awareness campaign is one of the largest initiatives annually launched by Zain in October. In 2016, Zain sponsored it for the ninth year in a row. The campaign was held in partnership with the Ministry of Health's National Mammography Screening Program and Al Seef Hospital. The campaign featured a number of awareness activities that were conducted throughout the month of October. It aimed at spreading positive awareness about breast cancer prevention through social media messages by Dr Hana Al-Khawari and Dr Noha AlSaleh to the public as well as to Zain employees. The activities included seminars for Zain's female employees at the company's headquarters as well as a visit to KCCC and an activity held in collaboration with Inspire Spa. Zain also paid for the cost of mammogram tests for its female employees.
Zain Hospital
Zain is keen on equipping Zain Specialized Hospital with the latest ear, nose and throat medical equipment. The hospital annually serves 3,600 patients and conducts 300 surgeries monthly, ie 10 a day. Zain volunteers visit the hospital on various occasions such as the national days, Ramadan and both Eids.
Zain Mobile Clinic
In 2016, Zain launched its Zain Mobile Clinic, which in collaboration with Dasman Diabetes Institute, runs diabetes tests as part of its efforts to spread public awareness about the disease. It also aims at taking experts from Dasman institute to various schools, institutes, universities, shopping malls and elsewhere to provide free diabetes tests.
Employees' Health Campaigns
Zain organizes several health awareness campaigns for its employees at its headquarters, including blood donation campaigns held in collaboration with the Central Blood Bank to encourage employees to take part in community service activities. Zain also hosted the national seasonal diseases vaccination campaign.
Aid and Humanitarian Campaigns
In the beginning of 2016, Zain signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with the aim of supporting refugee issues and improving their situation worldwide by providing them with basic needs and relief aid.
Vibrant Hearts Trip
Zain's volunteer team participated in a humanitarian visit to Syrian refugees and displaced families in northern and southern Lebanon as well as Beqaa governorate. The trip came as part of Zain's ongoing humanitarian strategic partnership with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society. The trip included visits to the bakeries project and Dar Al-Zahra hospital for artificial limbs. The trip also included visits to refugee camps where clothes, food supplies, medicine and fresh clean water were distributed.
Ramadan Charity Campaign
In Ramadan 2016, Zain launched its 'Ya Baghi Al-Khair Aqbel' charity campaign through which 500 fils was collected as a donation for every bill customers paid during the holy month. On concluding the campaign, Zain donated KD 45,000 to aid and humanitarian relief activities through the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity, which in turn allocated the sum for digging wells in remote areas in Somalia and Kyrgyzstan to help end the sufferings of thousands of families without access to clean drinking water.
Clothes Donation Campaign
In the beginning of 2016, Zain launched a campaign to donate clothes in collaboration with Kuwait Society for Relief, where a special box was placed at its headquarters in Shuwaikh and the company's employees were encouraged to donate clothes. The campaign lasted for three weeks and resulted in collecting over five tons of clothes that were later sent to Syrian refugees.
Environmental Awareness Programs Sponsoring Al-Roudhan Tourney
In Ramadan 2016, Zain sponsored Al-Roudhan's 37th Soccer Tourney held under auspices of HH the Amir. The company was present throughout the tourney and held daily competitions providing valuable prizes to winners.
Zain Employees Soccer Championship
In 2016, Zain organized its annual soccer championship for its employees at the Mishref United playground over three days.
Sponsoring Jet Ski champion Yousef Al-Abdul Razzaq
For the sixth year in a row, Zain continued to sponsor Kuwait national team's jet ski champions who scored highly at the international jet ski competition held in the US. It also sponsored jet ski champion Yousef Al-Abdul Razzaq for the seventh year.
Gulf Run
Zain also sponsored the 12th Gulf Run race, which provides great opportunities for youth with passion for car races, including kart races.
People with Special Needs
Zain shared the joy of celebrating various annual occasions with people with special needs on various occasions such as the International Day for People with Disabilities on Dec 3, National and Liberation Days, Ramadan, Girgian, Eids and other social occasions.
Zain Lab
Zain launched Zain Lab in 2016 in collaboration with MSAL's department of professional rehabilitation for people with special needs, which included a computer workshop.
Providing MoI with Wheelchairs
Zain provided the Ministry of Interior (MoI) over 40 wheelchairs to be distributed to various departments for senior people and people with special needs processing their transactions.
Training Dasman School students
In 2016, Zain hosted a new batch of Dasman Ideal Bilingual School pupils with special needs for the third year in a row, where they underwent a training program at the company's headquarters.
'Ramadan Live in Peace' Campaign
Zain organized its 'Live in Peace' campaign for the holy month of Ramadan that included various social and charity initiatives and activities. It also promoted traditional values such as sharing food and taking take of orphans. Zain also distributed food supplies to needy families and held daily iftar banquets.