I rarely put one word as the title of an article, but the LOYAC Foundation deserves it. Its name has already become a source for pride of any citizen or resident in Kuwait.
The “civilized” world celebrated the World Humanitarian Day some time ago. The Red Crescent Society, “LOYAC”, and “Kuwaiti Humanitarian Friendship Society” are at the forefront of organizations interested in helping others in times of disaster and hardship, without discrimination of religion, ethnicity or sect.
LOYAC, a non-profit organization, was established in 2002 as a positive initiative by a group of women in response to what happened on Sept 11, 2001, when the chairperson and founder of LOYAC, Mrs Fareah Al Saqqaf, discovered the huge number of young people who were involved in that crime and who were deceived by religious people and institutions, and the need to occupy youth time with positive, effective and useful matters, away from the forces of backwardness and extremism in society.
A group of women responded to the remarkable call to share her desire to bring about positive change in the hearts of young people, confront the existing violence in the world and spread the value of peace by creating a group of programs that help create an enlightened, qualified and willing person to participate and contribute to society in a positive and constructive manner, and not in a negative and destructive manner through LOYAC programs related to personal, professional and community development, with distinctive training to face their practical future within a variety of programs to address the mental, emotional, spiritual and material dimensions of all participants of both sexes, and to instill a culture of volunteerism in them instead of ostracism and atonement.
LOYAC runs several professional development programs, fostering personal growth, and helping young people find a better understanding of their needs and desires. Today, after 10 years of hard and fruitful work, LOYAC has deservedly become the first choice in terms of participating in innovative and high-quality programs.
It should be noted that LOYAC was able to create a qualitative leap in Kuwaiti society by engaging young people from the age of 6 years in several programs that contribute to community service, stressing the importance of working in restaurants, hotels and others, and directing young people to the importance of this type of business.
In response to the needs of youth outside the borders of Kuwait, LOYAC opened its first branch in Jordan in 2008, in Lebanon in 2009, and Yemen in 2015, and this came in the belief of its administration in the importance of engaging in addressing the concerns of the nation’s youth and strengthening partnership with other components of civil society.
LOYAC, despite its limited resources, has been remarkably successful in restoring the homes of needy Bedoun.
LOYAC’s experience has been subsequently circulated in Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen, and to return to Lebanon again, after the recent port disaster, where it had a prominent presence, and it has already begun to hand over many of the affected families their homes in a better way than they were before the tragic accident.
Although I feel how important it is to make a donation to the “Humanitarian Friendship Society” to help it carry out its tasks, it is my duty to invite as well to donate to the LOYAC and the Red Crescent Society.
e-mail: [email protected]
By Ahmad alsarraf
