World Business Times has recognised the ‘Together We Are Good’ programme, launched by the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an, as a leading initiative in bringing the community together and embodies the principles of human fraternity.
The programme positively impacted more than 400,000 beneficiaries in Abu Dhabi, according to a report published today by the global communications company.
The special report ‘Abu Dhabi COVID-19 Relief Efforts – Symbolising the Principles of Human Fraternity’ analysed how a set of nine selected countries considered leaders in the world of giving and charity, addressed the challenges of social relief posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Benchmarked against eight other countries’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report provided greater insight of how Ma’an acted decisively to bring communities together through financial and in-kind contributions, working on increasing social participation and channelling funds across four key pillars: education, health, food and basic needs.
With more than AED439 million in financial contributions, ‘Together We Are Good’ was benchmarked top three in terms of funds raised (equivalent of US$120 million) behind Kuwait and Canada. Altogether, more than AED1 billion was raised including in-kind contributions.
The programme was also placed second for average funds raised per capita (US$41 per person), behind Bahrain and level with Kuwait, while ranking first for contributions from private donors.
The report recognised that ‘Together We Are Good’ made two unique contributions compared to all other countries. First, it was the only fund in the education sector to support the payment of tuition fees for students whose parents were struggling to pay as a result of the crisis. Second, it was also the only fund in the health sector to support frontline workers to protect their families by providing them with accommodation in hotels.
The report highlighted the importance of the generosity of Abu Dhabi’s communities as a pivotal factor in the success of ‘Together We Are Good’ with Ma’an’s strategic partnerships with a number of organisations ensuring that the funds were distributed effectively to those in need. According to the report, it was a ‘vital lifeline’ for many including ‘expat blue color workers’.
It also showed that Ma’an’s adaptability, flexibility and responsiveness helped ‘Together We Are Good’ became a crucial programme, which provided a platform for a wide swathe of society to be included in a unique social programme, generating opportunities to contribute or volunteer to benefit the entire Emirate.
‘Together We Are Good’ is just one of many programmes that have been launched by Ma’an, whose objective is to drive social impact and create collaborative communities by addressing some of the pressing social challenges that are being faced.
Vesna Obradovic, Managing Director at World Business Times, said, “Following the WHO’s announcement of the rapidly developing coronavirus situation around the world, Abu Dhabi was notable among governments in that it quickly mobilized its resources to fight the virus and provide economic relief where it was needed.”
“The response was the ‘Together We Are Good’ programme, created by the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an. Its three main objectives were to improve the effectiveness of the community response; increase social participation and contributions by means of a community-centred communications campaign, and channel these contributions to those people most affected by the pandemic.”
“As the report states, the programme was a great success. It is a leading example of a government-led response to a crisis that activates the entire community and provides a positive and measurable impact on hundreds of thousands of residents.”
The report ‘Abu Dhabi Covid-19 Relief Efforts – Symbolising the Principles of Human Fraternity’ can be downloaded by visiting:
https://fundraise.maan.gov.ae/maan-reports/Responsereport2020.pdf
