25,000 poor families got society's help last year

Beit Al Khair supports orphans across the UAE

dubai - Beit Al Khair Society (Baks), committed to philanthropic work, spent Dh195.5 million on an array of charity projects last year for the benefit of 25,000 low income families.
These included 5,500 families on monthly cash allowances; 1,900 orphans; over 15,000 students of destitute families, apart from thousands of vulnerable widows, patients, seniors, defaulters, and special needs people.
An official source with the finance department at the society, said most of Beit Al Khair's charity expenses were collected from two major channels: Dh123 million as mandatory Zakat and Dh73 million as optional alms.
He added that most of the contributions given were for low-income families who received Dh52.3 million as cash allowances every month, Dh15 million as monthly foodstuff assistance. "The society also paid Dh43.5 million as emergency relief to helpless families. Up to Dh1.6 million was donated to families of special needs children while Dh390,000 was paid out as debts to some defaulters."
Over Dh14.8 million were spent on the orphans project against Dh3.1 million allotted for the students programme. These included Dh2.2 million for securing students' stationery stuff, and Dh903,000 spent on university students, he said. "Beit Al Khair also spent Dh10.2 million on the Ramadan Meer or foodstuff package, as well as Dh3.7 million on the Iftar project and Ramadan tents, and Dh3 million as Zakat Al Fitr to indigent families."
The society contributed Eid or feast clothes, worth Dh7.1 million, to registered cases and Dh23.7 million were given as Eid gifts. These are added to Dh2 million as Adahi or sacrificed meat, he added.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com