du shares Haq Al Leylah celebration with hospitalised children

As a gesture of giving back to the community, several du employees visited children admitted at Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, sharing the joy of Haq Al Leylah - a traditional celebration during lunar month of Shaa’ban with them. 

Members of the du staff and management volunteered their time to organise the visit to the children, who are unable to leave the hospital and participate in Haq Al Leylah in the customary way. As a gesture of appreciation for the efforts of du employees, Dr. Abdullah Khayat, CEO of Al Wasl Hospital, presented Luma Jasim Bourisly, Vice President of Corporate Communications, du, with a trophy. 

“To see the smiles on the children’s faces and know we’ve touched their hearts through this gesture is more reward than we could hope for,” commented Luma Jasim, Vice President of Corporate Communications, du. “This was a great opportunity for us to promote voluntary work among our employees. We wanted to spread the spirit of love, family and community-bonding that Haq Al Leylah represents to these 36 children who are unable to experience it in its traditional capacity. It is important to demonstrate that such strong, familial social bonds still exist, despite all of the changes in our world today.” 

Haq Al Leylah, meaning ‘for this night’, is an annual event that is celebrated on the 15^th night of the lunar calendar month of Shaa’ban, 15 days before Ramadan begins, children dress in traditional clothes and go around their neighbourhood collecting sweets and nuts from their neighbours in a bag. As they go, they sing a traditional song – ‘atona Allah yaa’teekoum bet Makah yewadeekoum’ (give to us and God will give to you, and, with his grace, you will visit Mecca). At the end of the evening, they compare their bags to see who collected the most. 

du has organised several initiatives for children. Recently, the company invited children from the Thalassemia Centre to a day-out with their families at KidZania with du employees, while the company’s Drop of Life campaign saw du employees donate blood to be used within the Centre. The company’s children-focused activities include a partnership with children’s book publishing house Kalimat, inspired by a passion to further develop the reading habits of young Emiratis by engaging them with invigorating Arabic literature.  Together, du and Kalimat have partnered in several events, including book signings and book launches such as Abir Ballan’s Fie Al Ittihad Al Quwa, activities for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, National Day and International Children’s Book Day, as well as taking part in the Sharjah and Abu Dhabi Book Fairs.