Volunteers provide timely succor

Young Saudi volunteers are distributing chilled water and cold juice to men working under a scorching summer sun. The campaign was started in the summer of 2010 by the biggest volunteer group in the Kingdom, the Young Initiative Group (YIG), based in Jeddah. “They work in unbearable weather and for long, long hours. They pick up so much trash that shouldn't be there,” said Mohammad Al-Bakri, cofounder of YIG. “On top of all of that, their salaries are delayed for months. The least we can do is offer them some cold water,” he explained. The campaign promotes helping those who toil in the summer heat by chilling the bottles of water overnight and giving them away in the morning on the way to work or school. “The campaign was extremely successful in the last two years. I have seen many people do it in the morning and afternoon,” said 18-year-old volunteer Mohammed Kamel. “People are also sending out messages through the social media and text messages to make each other aware of this honorable campaign,” he added. Helping those who work under the sun beat the summer heat is what the campaign aims for, according to 27-year-old volunteer Abdulelah Khan. “It’s a small gesture that costs almost nothing but could help construction workers and street cleaners maintain their balance and body temperature,” he said. “I have been doing this every time I see the temperature going above 40 degrees Celsius. This campaign should go on for the whole year, knowing that Saudi Arabia is usually a very hot country all year round,” he added. Putting yourself in their shoes is a way to feel for them, according to Layal Al-Faisal, a mother of two. “Islam asks us to have mercy upon those who are in need, and I believe that this is a small gesture that would help them continue their work. So why not just do it and help them go through summer with a healthy body?” she said. Rania Al-Harthy, a 23-year-old medical student, said it is better still to distribute cold juice, because it contains sugar. “I wake up every day with five juice bottles that I freeze overnight and give them away to outdoor workers on my way to the hospital,” she said. “Giving away juice is better than water, because it contains sugar and fruit, which is exactly what they need in this heat,” she added. Sadiq, a Pakistani street cleaner who cleans next to a school in Al-Rawdah district in Jeddah, said he was grateful, and through Arab News, he would like to thank students who give him cold water every day for their efforts. “We start working at 6 a.m. every morning, and students would pass by carrying plastic bags filled with water and soft drinks,” he said. “I noticed that most of the young men who give us water live in the same neighborhood or go to the school I clean next to. Sometimes they would give food as well,” he added.