“Al-Ayyam” reviews the most prominent challenges of “charity work” on its international day

On this day, September 5, the United Nations celebrates the International Day of Charity, which was approved with the aim of educating and motivating people, non-governmental organizations and common stakeholders around the world to help others through volunteering and charitable activities.
Regarding this, Al-Ayyam surveyed the opinions of a number of activists in the field of charitable work, about the most prominent challenges and obstacles they face, as Ahmed Taher, head of the Hamad Town Charitable Society, indicated that it is divided into three sections, located in the inner house, as the associations face difficulty in finding volunteers. Especially the youth group, in addition to the laws and regulations of the Ministry of Development, and the negative stereotypical image of society and its view towards charities.

He said: “Many people see that they are in need, and when their requests are rejected based on precise criteria, this is considered an insult and creates a negative image. Some see that the required documents are impossible, but in reality they are necessary and represent an essential part of the requirements for collecting money, and it is necessary to provide them.” Ministry there.
While Sayed Hassan Shubar, a member of the Hamala Charitable Society, stated that charitable work is a shared responsibility for everyone, and must be given great attention, and there is awareness and interest in this noble work in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
He added: “There is an urgent need to develop the headquarters of charitable societies to carry out work comfortably, so that they include all facilities, and to take into account the issue of rents. It is necessary to facilitate the dealings of charitable societies and civil society organizations with official government agencies, facilitate the issuance of permits, and review some decisions and laws periodically to facilitate the process.” Organization of institutional work.
Al-Sayyid praised the involvement of young people in charitable and volunteer work, stressing the importance of providing the scene with new faces and blood that contribute to advancement, creativity, development, and presenting new ideas, especially with regard to the nature of the activities provided by civil institutions and charitable societies.
For his part, Yousef Al-Banna from the Muharraq Charitable Society said that charitable work falls within the framework of serving the nation and society, and it is necessary to think about the best ways to change, provide support and assistance to needy groups, and relieve the suffering of the needy and needy, whether with material or moral support, pointing out that the positions of The people of Bahrain are referred to as Lebanon, and the people have proven their solidarity in many stories, especially through campaigns organized by associations, whether for treatment or rebuilding homes and others.
He pointed out that the most prominent challenges and obstacles that charitable work faces at the present time is the individual volunteer’s lack of awareness or knowledge of the importance of charitable work and its great reward from God Almighty and the positive return on society, in addition to the preoccupation of many members of society with their work and personal and family connections, and thus their distance. About candidacy for charitable societies and institutions.
Regarding the exploitation of charitable societies to participate in the electoral arena, Salah Bu Hassan, President of the Muharraq Charitable Society, said that this work is contrary to religion, values and morals, and is an exploitation of the name of charitable work for electoral campaigns. This is a clear and explicit violation of the laws and regulations in force in the Kingdom of Bahrain and contains confusion between civil and political work. . He added: “The Ministry of Social Development warned charitable societies against engaging in politics, based on the text of Article No. (18) of Decree Law No. (21) of 1989 regarding the issuance of the Law on Associations, Social and Cultural Clubs, and Private Bodies Working in the Field of Youth and Sports, Private Institutions and its Amendments, and such as those They are not trusted with the country and the interests of the people.”
As for the challenges, Bu Hassan said that there is a scarcity and weakness of financial resources, and a lack of financial liquidity to purchase investment properties, the proceeds of which go back to charitable work to cover charitable programs and activities.
In the same context, Nidal Al-Banna, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Isa Town Charitable Social Society, stated that charitable work and volunteering are among the most beautiful and difficult experiences, as it reflects greatly on the individual and contributes to his feeling of psychological comfort and self-satisfaction, but on the other hand, those working in the field face great pressures. Community-based financial resources are limited due to the difficulty of directing them to those who deserve them. The challenge lies in distributing the funds fairly and correctly. He pointed out that the horizon for charitable work in Bahrain is limited compared to sister countries, and the space of freedom must be increased and restrictions must be eased to allow the largest number of volunteers to engage in charitable work.