The number of nongovernmental organizations involved in charitable and social activities in the Kingdom has been on the increase, an official of the Ministry of Social Affairs told Arab News yesterday.
“The nonprofit charitable organizations established over the past three years have focused mainly on human rights, eradication of drug addiction, helping women victims of family abuse and divorced women. The organizations also helped sick people and worked for the rehabilitation of those who had given up drugs and tobacco,” Mishwah Al-Hoshan, director of charity organizations at the ministry, said.
Underscoring the emerging positive outlook in the society concerning women, Al-Hoshan added that around 30 percent of the 450 organizations deal with women’s issues.
The ministry also encourages organizations to foray into diverse areas of social service. “The ministry aims at increasing the role of nongovernmental organizations in countering family abuse, cruelty to children, rehabilitation of divorced women, elderly people, the sick and the disabled, autistic children and those who suffer from Alzheimer’s, diabetes and even AIDS, besides setting up societies for writers and artists,” Al-Hoshan said.
The number of societies to help people suffering from various chronic ailments reached 40, the official said.
“The presence of such organizations is a strong index of rising awareness of their social commitment,” he added.
The ministry has been receiving many applications to set up new societies in most cities and towns in the Kingdom, he said.
The latest society to help sick people licensed by the ministry was the Society for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The ministry also offers financial and logistic assistance to societies that help the people in various ways.
In a related development, Saleh Al-Turki, president of the Council of Saudi Chambers, who also heads several charitable nongovernmental organizations in Jeddah, said, “The growth in NGO activities in the Kingdom reflects a mature social attitude toward sick, mentally ill, AIDS patients and uncared for women and people released from jails. It also shows that the Saudi organizations have acquired considerable experience over the past years in social work besides developing the ability to interact with local and international changes,” Turki said.
-- Arab News
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