Dubai: The Community Development Authority (CDA) has launched a holistic Ramadan campaign including serving iftar meals, giving essential food baskets, and visiting the elderly to benefit less privileged members of the community this Ramadan.

The month-long campaign called Yestahloon (colloquial for ‘well deserved’) is being held until August 10 in collaboration with 23 licensed social clubs and private sector organisations. At least Dh1.5 million in-kind donations for the campaign will be used to reach blue-collar workers, families, and the elderly in various areas in Dubai. A similar campaign was held last year but was smaller in scope.

“Today, we have raised the bar and next year we will raise it even more. It will keep increasing not only in number but also in quality,” Dr Omar Al Muthanna, Chief Executive Officer of CDA’s Social Regulator and Licensing Sector, told Gulf News.

From just 20,900 beneficiaries in 2012, Al Muthanna said the target beneficiaries this year increased seven times at 162,550 and will further increase as the month progresses. At least 100,000 iftar meals will be served in various labour accommodations daily. More than 60,000 in-kind gifts and at least 500 food baskets containing basic commodities will be distributed to families in need in Dubai.

The whole campaign will display teamwork and social cohesion among participating organisations to better serve the community.

“One company provides money, one organisation prepares the food, and delivering of the food is done by another party. Then loading and unloading is done by the volunteers. So it’s not just about giving. There is a lot of effort that is put in to serve the community,” Palani Babu, Head of Facility and Society Licensing Section at the Regulatory and Licensing Department at CDA, told Gulf News.

Al Muthanna said the campaign also includes health awareness lectures, health camps, and blood donation camps. They have incorporated other CDA programmes into this year’s campaign such as the Weleef (Arabic for ‘home care’) which offers social care and regular visits to the elderly.

“The activities are mainly targeted towards the labourers. But because this initiative has expanded in scope, we introduced Weleef to some of the social clubs and we asked them to do the same this Ramadan but within their own communities,” Al Muthanna said.

“This is proof that we live in a community that is empowered and where it’s not only the government that contributes to the society,” he added.