Volunteers repair houses of poor families in Riyadh

RIYADH: Many young Saudis find inner satisfaction through volunteer work, which also helps boost their self-confidence. In addition to acquiring new experiences, volunteer work allows youngsters to learn the pleasures of bringing joy to others.

This was typically felt by a group of volunteers called the “story of success” team, which launched an initiative at the beginning of last Ramadan to renovate the houses of poor and low-income people in the capital city of Riyadh.

The team, supported by grandsons of Prince Turki bin Abdul Aziz, comprises seven members and another 50 young male and female volunteers who sought to help those unable to renovate and repair their houses.

Team member Abdulmajeed Al-Disimani said the initiative is part of other initiatives launched by the “story of success” team which is a community, humanitarian and charity initiative started in Al-Faisaliyah district in Riyadh.

He said the initiative aims to extend assistance to those living in poor districts through the renovation and repair of their houses by these young volunteers. The team, which came into being a few months ago, welcomes new members who desire to join, he said.

Speaking to local media, he said the team receives a list of poor families whose houses need repair through the Social Development Center in Al-Faisaliyah district and the team members review the houses eligible for support.

The team consults specialized contractors and engineers on the work that is required on each home.

Some of the repairs are carried out by the specialists, while the rest of the work, such as painting, is done by the team members, he said.

He gave no information on the beneficiaries of the initiative but expressed the hope that the service will cover all poor houses in the district, which exceed 50 houses.

He said their first plan was to launch their voluntary project in Al-Faisaliyah district and then shift to another district in coordination with other needy areas.

Al-Disimani expressed thanks and appreciation to those who supported the initiative, either volunteers or those who rendered financial and material support.

He also thanked those who gave moral support through social media and, in this context, called on all parties to join hands in helping poor families repair their houses to improve their quality of life.

MADINAH: Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah and chairman of the board of directors of the Takaful Welfare Society for Orphan Care in Madinah, on Monday inaugurated a SR100 million ($26.7 million) real-estate investment project to help the orphans of Madinah and support the society which takes care of 13,000 orphans and 4,200 of their widowed mothers.

The prince also launched an empowerment project to enhance the skills of orphans and their mothers to ensure their success, provide them with the appropriate job opportunities and support their projects through three phases.

The first phase starts by improving the skills of the orphan and their mothers through intensive professional, psychological and social programs. The second phase is coordinating job opportunities provided by the private sector with the acquired skills. The third phase will support their projects and dreams.

The prince also looked at the final phases to establish a Takaful social club, at a cost of SR13 million. This project includes academic training halls, indoor swimming pools, residential and commercial units, playgrounds and multipurpose facilities to help build and develop the skills and personalities of the orphans and their mothers, and ensure their success.

The society’s secretary-general, Dr. Abdul Mohsin Al-Harbi, said that over 70 percent of the work to establish the club