Noor Boubyan Campaign

Boubyan Bank to Launch 4th Noor Boubyan Campaign in Collaboration with the International Islamic Charitable Organization & Al-Darayn Volunteer Team

AL-Yaqout: For the First Time, Boubyan Bank Will Provide Medical Scholarships to Help with the Graduation of Nigerien Ophthalmologist 

Al-Sumaitt: Boubyan Bank Is an Example to Follow in Its Humanitarian Initiatives & Ongoing Partnership

Al-Maimany: Our Target Is to Increase the Awareness of Developing Countries and to Provide Sustainable Projects

Boubyan Bank will be launching its fourth Noor Boubyan campaign on Friday, December 6th 2019. The campaign is organized in collaboration with the International Islamic Charity Organization “IICO” and the “Pay Two Dinars and Earn the Hereafter” volunteer team, where a group of Kuwaiti consultant ophthalmologists will conduct Cataracts operations in the Niger.

The campaign is organized to follow in the path of success achieved over the past three campaigns where over 8,000 people of various ages in the Niger and Uganda restored their eyesight.

The delegation taking part in the 4th Noor Boubyan campaign includes a group of volunteering ophthalmologists, a number of volunteers from Boubyan Bank staff, IICO employees, Al-Darayn Volunteer Team and a number of social media influencers. 

In this regard, Waleed Khalid Al-Yaqout, General Manager - Boubyan Bank's Administration Group stated that: “The Most significant thing about this campaign is the participation of volunteering Kuwaiti ophthalmologists who are donating their time and effort to perform these operations with the help of young Kuwaiti volunteers who will be present in the Niger throughout the campaign to handle all the necessary organizational affairs.” 

Al-Yaqout added: "This initiative, which started as an idea from the bank's CEO, Adel Al-Majed, is part of our corporate social responsibility activities. Being an Islamic bank, our activities and social responsibility extend way beyond Kuwait to reach various countries around the world". 

“For the first time, a number of Masters and Ph.D degrees’ scholarships in ophthalmology would be announced with the aim of preparing a group of ophthalmologists in the Niger so that they could ultimately perform the same surgeries and assist volunteer medical teams arriving from various other countries.”, Al-Yaqout explained.

He went on to add: “Since prevention is better than cure, over 1000 prescription glasses will be distributed amongst children and adults after completing the necessary medical and eyesight tests.”

In addition to the surgeries to be performed by Kuwaiti ophthalmologists, the trip program will also include various activities and events including meeting of orphans, widows, people with special needs and the visually impaired in addition to visiting Islamic landmarks in the Niger, meeting university students and others. 

Furthermore, Al-Yaqout explained: “The initiative's goal is not merely to perform a number of surgeries, which would remain insufficient in light of the number of surgeries needed by Cataracts patients worldwide, rather, the goal goes beyond that to increasing public awareness about the significance of international cooperation to eliminate this disease, which afflicts hundreds of millions in Africa and Asia.” 

Cataracts weakens eyesight and may lead in some cases to complete blindness although the cost needed to treat it is as low as $100 (around KD 30). In other words, a simple surgery that might not last for ten minutes with a simple cost may change a human being's life. 

Outstanding Partnership 

On his part, IICO’s director, Engineer Bader Saud Al-Smuaitt expressed his pride in such a fruitful and constructive partnership between Boubyan Bank and IICO with coordination from Al-Darayn Volunteer initiative for the fourth year in a row adding that this stems from shared humanitarian and voluntary responsibility. 

Al-Sumaitt added: “Boubyan Bank stands out as an example to follow with its repeated humanitarian initiatives and has set the finest example of corporate social responsibility and volunteering spirit through its intention to launch a new health campaign in the Niger following the success of previous ones organized in Uganda and the Niger.”

Furthermore, Al-Sumaitt explained: “The efforts exerted by Boubyan Bank's executives and staff stem from the habits of Kuwaiti people, especially their utmost love for charity work aiming to alleviate the suffering of the poor and the distressed worldwide, guided by the instructions of H.H. the Amir and the Humanitarian Leader, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.  

"What really pleased me is the bank's keenness on diversifying its volunteer services and initiatives in ophthalmology. Also, as a part of its new humanitarian campaign, Boubyan Bank intends to distribute 1000 prescription glasses to people with weak eyesight and provide a number of medical scholarships for students from the Niger.”, Al-Sumaitt added. 

Community Education

On her part, Al-Darayn Volunteer Initiative Manager, Sumayyah Al-Maimany, stated: “Noor Boubyan campaign is the best example of effective social partnership between the three sectors; the government sector represented by the IICO, the private sector represented by Boubyan Bank and the volunteer work sector represented by volunteering ophthalmologists, Al-Darayn Volunteer Team, media figures and social media influencers, who interact with this campaign on an annual basis.”

"The program of Noor Boubyan trip to the Niger includes a number of awareness activities designed with the aim of increasing public awareness in developing countries' communities and providing them with sustainable projects that would ensure decent life for them after our return. Therefore, special training courses and seminars have been organized for directors and officials of community and humanitarian institutions that focus on faith, administrative and social responsibility while organizing activities in coordination with our office in Niamey, the capital of the Niger, for Nigerien orphans with the aim of bringing joy and happiness to their hearts.", she concluded.  

Three basic resources

It is worth mentioning that the cost of Noor Boubyan campaign has been raised through three main resources; the first is the “Boubyan Steps” campaign organized by the bank last Ramadan whereby the bank donated KD 1 per each five-minute walk completed by participants throughout the holy month, which ultimately led to raising and donating KD 40,000 in full by the end of the month. 

Additionally, the IICO donated KD 20,000 making it a total of KD 60,000, which will, God willing, be sufficient to perform 1,000 surgeries. Furthermore, the IICO will launch a fund raising campaign to collect more donations.