One-time SMS to 1110 will enable Etisalat users be part of a 365-day fundraiser
As another year draws to a close, Sharjah-based international humanitarian organisation The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) has joined hands with Etisalat, to offer Etisalat customers in the UAE a great opportunity to make humanitarian action a part of their daily lives by signing up to their year-long text-to-donate campaign called ‘The Big Heart Dirham’.
All Etisalat mobile service users can support refugees and those in need worldwide for each day of one entire year by simply sending an SMS just once to the number 1110 and the daily service will be automatically activated.
Donors have two donation values to choose from. By sending an SMS with the word ‘Humanity’ in the body text, the donor pledges AED 1 daily donation to TBHF, which will amount to AED 365 at the end of the year, and it will be deducted automatically on a daily basis by Etisalat from their accounts.
By opting for the word ‘Support’, the donor pledges AED 5 daily donation to TBHF, which will amount to AED 1,825 at the end of the year, and it will be deducted on a daily basis by Etisalat from the users accounts starting the day they sign up to ‘The Big Heart Dirham’ campaign.
The campaign has been launched by TBHF and Etisalat to reaffirm the UAE’s spirit of humanitarian action, and offer much-needed financial and moral support to hundreds of thousands of war victims and forcibly displaced people in the region and around the world.
It has been facilitated by an agreement signed by the two parties in the presence of Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of TBHF; and Abdulaziz Taryam, CEO Adviser and General Manager of Etisalat – Northern Emirates.
Al Hammadi has encouraged everyone in the UAE community to extend their support to this campaign, saying, “The UAE and the world have been championing humanitarian efforts at a time when the world is experiencing some of the worst humanitarian crises we have seen in decades, especially in the region. Thankfully, regional and international agencies are reaching out with lifesaving aid, but will run out of resources if we do not continue our charitable efforts to help them.
“Through this donation campaign, we seek to promote charitable action and the concept of giving to the world’s less fortunate as a part of people’s daily lives. The importance of philanthropy needs to be further ingrained in people’s hearts and minds, and here in Sharjah – an emirate whose leadership built its foundations on unity, brotherhood and humaneness.
She added: “We may not even notice a dirham or five being kept aside every day. But, it is these apparently amounts that when put together can be life-changing, and even life-saving. Every ‘Big Heart Dirham’ will be used to provide shelter to the homeless, bring medical aid to the ill, and offer hope for a better future.”
Taryam emphasised that the agreement furthers Etisalat’s goal of being an effective partner to local organisations dedicated to humanitarian and charitable work, and continue to play a role in furthering UAE’s humanitarian vision.
Al Hammadi also observed that the UAE – home to 200-plus nationalities representing all seven continents – is a living example of solidarity and peaceful coexistence. She said that this spirit of brotherhood and appreciation among diverse cultures fostered by the country’s leadership translates into the community’s unfailing commitment and tangible support to people living in unfortunate circumstances.
The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) is a humanitarian charity established in 2015 after a range of humanitarian initiatives and campaigns launched by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Muhammad Al Qasimi. TBHF aims to provide protection for children in need and their families. Although the foundation concentrates its efforts in the Arab world, it provides support to affected areas worldwide.
