CDA launches initiative to focus on volunteerism

As part of its efforts to strengthen civic engagement and foster a culture of giving, the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has announced the launch of the “Volunteerism Awareness and Engagement” project.

The initiative aims to deepen public understanding of volunteerism and empower individuals across all age groups to play an active role in Dubai’s development journey—aligned with the objectives of the “Year of Community.”

The project highlights the concept of volunteering, the ecosystem that supports it, and the rights and responsibilities of volunteers.

It also encourages participation across all segments of society and serves as a comprehensive platform for individuals to generate measurable social impact—either through field-based contributions or by enhancing their leadership capacities in the volunteer sector.

Reflecting the strong community spirit in the emirate, Dubai has recorded a total of over one million volunteer hours in 2024 — a milestone that underscores both heightened public awareness and strong institutional involvement.

According to statistics from CDA’s Volunteerism Department, nearly 59,000 volunteers are now registered on its platform.

In the first quarter of this year alone, over 18,000 individuals took part in volunteer programmes, contributing more than 500,000 hours of service, equivalent to an estimated economic value of Dhs40 million.

Specialised volunteering is also on the rise, with over 100 skilled opportunities completed by 500 volunteers who contributed a combined total of 8,000 expert hours. As part of its drive to co-create with the community, CDA organised a collaborative ideation workshop that brought together volunteer teams, government entities, charities, senior citizens, and people of determination.

The session resulted in a series of inclusive, impact-driven initiatives aligned with the goals of the “Year of Community.”

Among the key outcomes was the formation of Dubai’s first volunteer team comprised of people of determination — empowering this segment of society to take on meaningful roles.

Likewise, the emirate’s first senior citizens’ volunteer team was launched with members from the Thukher Club, in recognition of the wisdom and life experience of the older generation.

Several other initiatives were introduced, including:

l Mothers and Daughters, encouraging compassionate visits to hospital patients.

l A Day with Senior Citizens, fostering intergenerational bonding

l Agriculture Zones, uniting students and the elderly in educational gardening projects.

l A recycling awareness initiative aimed at promoting environmental responsibility.

l Volunteer Leadership Hub, a capacity-building programme for developing certified volunteer leaders.

l National identity programmes such as cultural etiquette (‘Sana’a’) sessions and national identity storytelling sessions. CDA emphasised that these initiatives represent a strategic shift in mainstreaming volunteerism and broadening inclusive civic participation.

The implementation of the initiatives will follow a structured roadmap and rely on robust partnerships with public, private, and community stakeholders to ensure sustainability and maximise on-the-ground impact.

Recently, the CDA launched “Respite Care” programme for caregivers of senior citizens and People of Determination.

The programme, which falls under the umbrella the Higher Committee for Development and Citizens Affairs, gives primary caregivers a chance to focus on their physical and mental well-being.

The Programme eligibility requires that caregivers are Dubai citizens and first-degree relatives of senior citizens or People of Determination they care for, and must also live in the same home.

The Respite Care programme provides temporary relief to caregivers of elderly individuals and People of Determination. The Programme enables caregivers to take short-term breaks to attend to their daily activities without having to compromise on their care-giving responsibilities. This ensures that the elderly and People of Determination continue to receive the necessary care even when their primary caregiver is unavailable for a short period.

The Respite Care programme also aims to give primary caregivers a chance to focus on their physical and mental well-being.

WAM