Kuwait

Paragraphs that mention volunteering

Paragraph 1, page 15

Community groups in Kuwait, also mobilized their resources in the response to COVID-19. They did so by providing available relief services reaching those most affected and workers in several constituencies through coordination and partnerships. Other associations also provided awareness services to the population about the virus itself and its transmission and prevention methods. On media and information management, many played a significant role through monitoring inaccurate information and limiting its spread-out, promoting a better communication strategy that addresses the population directly through volunteers in all governorates. Thanks to these efforts more than 1,833,923 individuals benefitted one way or the other, from these services during the pandemic.

Paragraph 2, page 16

Among the latter it is worth mentioning i) the draft law aimed at securing guarantees for local banks to provide financial assistance to clients whose businesses were affected by the pandemic; ii) the draft law aimed at postponing the collection of instalments for loans and for easing adverse impacts as a result of the spread of the pandemic; iii) the draft law amending provisions of Law 17 of 1960 regarding legal procedures and penal trials; iv) the draft law pertaining to real estate financing for private housing; v) a further draft law regarding the third medium-term development plan (2020/2021-2024/2025); and, vi) approval of the draft law regarding the convention for establishing Digital Corporation Organization (DCO)... The private sector and the oil sector also played a significant role in the efforts made during the pandemic. Different companies coordinated with the government in order to extend much needed sustenance to the health system such as support to hospitals, provision of quarantine locations, provision of vaccination areas, provision of health volunteers, creation and launching of electronic applications to track cases and raise awareness on the virus, as well as launching several media campaigns.
 

Paragraph 3, page 17

Al Eslah Society, it did contribute to the preparation of shelters and to providing healthy meals for medical staff working in quarries, sanatoriums, and health centers, in addition to providing cold water bottles and meals to the most affected groups including in prisons, and to airport workers. In terms of community service programmes and support for those affected, the Society covered isolated areas, distributed food baskets and breakfast meals during Ramadan seasons, provided volunteer service programs to the crews of the National Voluntary Committee in all the governorates, and supported cooperative societies in delivering food and medical needs, which helped to mitigate the repercussions of the pandemic on families. In addition, it published more than 52 awareness clips on social media, activated “online” psychological support and community guidance services with a view to raising awareness and enhancing resilience, distributed 221,440 meals to 36 quarantine centers, and distributed 237,918 protective bags in partnership with associates. More than 6000 volunteers were mobilized during the pandemic, with direct expenditures amounting to K.D 3,997,837.
 

Paragraph 4, page 36

Worth mentioning under target 11.3.2, the projects that are aimed at developing smart cities in new residential areas, designing and constructing electric vehicle charging stations in buildings, as well as within infrastructure networks, constructing new public buildings through the LEED designs, and setting up suburban cooling systems in public buildings and within the networks in residential cities. As to Al Eslah Society, it launched initiatives through awareness campaigns and qualitative partnerships with state institutions and voluntary teams, the last of which was the planting of 5000 seedlings in Al-Mutlaa desert. The number of participating volunteers amounted to 400 volunteers.
 

Paragraph 5, page 81

Rehabilitation of the coastal environment by cultivating mangrove seeds in different regions of the State of Kuwait in cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman, which provided the seeds of the mangrove plant. Approximately 1,000 seeds have been grown annually in the laboratories of the Biodiversity Conservation Department (BCD) and transported as seedlings for cultivation in their natural environment. As of 2021, 4,000 seedlings have been cultivated in the Jahra Reserve, Bubiyan Island, the Sabiya area, and Barr Qadi in cooperation with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and a group of volunteering teams. The plans are to keep this running until 2035, when approximately 18,000 seedlings will have been cultivated;
 

Paragraph 6, page 88

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) provided several sustainability highlights for the year 2021 including fostering workforce development and engagement through a 71 per cent increase in its training investment since 2020 (totalling KWD 1,021,277), with 41,037 training hours – excluding Digital Mindset training. On the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), NBK scored 94 per cent, 56 per cent on Net Promoted Score (NPS) and an average of 4 days to resolve complaints – recording a 20 per cent improvement since 2020. NBK is the first bank in Kuwait to launch a digital bank (Weyay Bank) and has gained the merit of innovation in Digital Banking Award in the Middle East. On NBK’s environmental impact, the Headquarters building is LEED Gold certified. The institution has achieved a 100 per cent paper recycling and decreased plastic consumption by 64 per cent. Finally, NBK has an evolving social impact where it contributed to over KWD 17,705,000 in total community investments and had 59 employee volunteers.

Paragraphs that mention the integration of volunteering into development plans, policies and strategies No mention