Charity is a benevolent streak that should be nurtured by all. It does not cost much, just strikes a chord so that you reach out to untie your pursestrings.

And the UAE leads from the front in this field.

Sharjah Charity International (SCI) in Kalba announced that the number of beneficiaries of the internal assistance programmes from Kalba’s families reached 1,557 cases, while Dhs3.7 million was allocated for external projects.

Nasser Masoud Bilal, Director of Sharjah Charity International, said that the monthly assistance was provided to 124 cases which included widows, divorced women, orphans, people without income, elderly; and to the treatment of 180 sick people. Similarly, 183 students were assisted and food baskets were distributed among 521 beneficiaries.

Eid clothing, Zakat and Zakat Al-Fitr were also distributed among 232 beneficiaries, he added, while concluding that the charity successfully implemented 576 projects included 536 wells, 7 construction projects, 33 mosques, and 72 new sponsorship cases.

Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) is another organisation that is a shining beacon of help and generosity. It earnestly seeks to lighten the financial load on needy patients. In this regard it launched its ninth annual ‘I Deserve a Life’ Ramadan Zakat campaign, to raise funds for cancer patients who cannot afford the high costs of treatment.

FOCP, which provides medical, financial, and emotional support to cancer patients and their families throughout the year, has urged the UAE community to be unstinting in their support this year, and to donate their Zakat to offer hope to the neediest sections of the Muslim community in keeping with the spirit and values of the holy month of Ramadan.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact lives in the UAE and globally, FOCP will continue to enable donors make their contributions digitally via SMS and website donations, bank transfers and online coupon purchases for its 2021 Ramadan Zakat campaign. From as little as Dhs10 onwards, private and government entities, banks, corporate houses and UAE residents can contribute to this noble cause to cover costs of chemotherapy, radiation, transplants, medication, surgeries, and other expenses incurred during the varying stages of diagnosis and treatment.

The FOCP initiative is made possible by the Fatwa issued by the Permanent Fatwa Committee in Sharjah which states that it is permissible to use Zakat funds to treat poor and needy patients, if they cannot afford treatment costs.

Since its launch in 2013, the campaign has supported 1,449 patients. In 2020, more than 200 individuals and families impacted by cancer received support through FOCP’s ‘I Deserve a Life’ Ramadan Zakat campaign. A sum of Dhs2,576,518.88 was received last year which enabled FOCP to cover the costs of 25 chemotherapies, 10 radiotherapies, 33 medications, 10 surgeries, 25 scans, 25 medical equipment, and 1 bone marrow transplant.

Last year, the Zakat Fund received over Dhs34.3 million in revenues of ‘Al Zakat Al Muwajjaha’, or funds given by top philanthropists and companies, in the first six months of this year, a growth of over 50 per cent from Dhs18 million in the same period of 2019.

A 2019 report said the UAE, which has prioritised philanthropy as a social value based on giving, has been named the world’s largest donor of development assistance in proportion to its gross national income, for the fifth year running.

At least 45 donors, humanitarian organisations and charities from the UAE are helping those in need, and the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, is one of these humanitarian actors, which is proud of its partnership with Emirati benefactors, philanthropists, citizens and residents.

It just goes to show that when it comes to helping others, the UAE does not shirk responsibility. Rather, it throws its weight full-on behind the philanthropic measure.