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Charity at your finger tips with smart app

Dubai - Beit Al Khair Society (BAKS), in line with the UAE's 'Year of Giving' initiative has initiated a smart app compatible with Android and IOS-operated smart devices.

Want to give for charity, but concerned about where and when? No worries! Contribution has never been made so easy, convenient and at finger tips like this before.
The leading Beit Al Khair Society (BAKS), in line with the President's 'Year of Giving' initiative, and the Vice-President's directives to turn Dubai into a smart city, has initiated a smart app that is compatible with Android and IOS-operated smart devices and can be simply used anytime and anywhere.
Abdeen Taher Al Awadhi, executive manager of Beit Al Khair Society, told Khaleej Times that the app, featuring all the Society 17 charity projects, has been developed by a specialised company over four months following several changes. "It costs us only Dh40,000 after the developing company gave us a big discount."
While there is no need for donors to use the app, it is so easy to donate for or at least share the initially studied, verified, and announced cases in need for help on social media, mainly facebook, twitter, and Instagram, he added.
"Considering the privacy of the cases being presented, no personal details are uncovered on either the smart app or the Beit Al Khair website, and the cases may only be highlighted after their advance approval."

Beit Al Khair Society has launched a smart app that covers all its  charity projects and services. Supplied Photo
Saeed Mubarak Al Mazrooei, deputy executive manager of the society, said the smart app helps identify the cases in need for help, ongoing charity projects, emergency cases, possible means of online contribution, and the nearest of 120 locations across the country, including 85 in Dubai, for in person donation.
"With this smart app, due Zakat or alms against set amount of money and gold that have been in possession for one fully year can be automatically counted by the app while a detailed Pdf book on the Fiqh or rulings of Zakat is available as well."

Any of the listed 800 sponsors, with a unique username and password, can closely follow up the latest figures and facts of the 1,800 orphans or 490 indigent families, they are regularly supporting, he disclosed. "The app links each and every sponsor with the Society e-archive where they get access to all the details needed."
Application for volunteering in any of the Society programmes is also possible via this app after considering the specialty, as well as the suitable time venue of the applicant, said Aidaroos Ahmed Abdullah, Head of IT department, BAKS.
"The app, linked to Dubai Pay, gives donors an option to contribute not only via SMS, but also by credit card, e-dirham, direct bank debit, and One-click pay," he said. "There is also a link to contact the Society for queries, feedback, and remarks anywhere and anytime, let alone a special link for prayer timing."
Official figures show that the Beit Al Khair Society, founded in 1989, is now supporting up to 43,000 families, a big number that is updated every year. "Beit Al Khair spent around Dh200 million on some 104,000 indigent families in 2016."
"Adopting smart transformation, the Society has recently changed the paper charity coupons into e-coupons to make contribution for charity as easy as possible on an LED screen with no human interference."
The Society, in collaboration with the Dubai Islamic Bank, has further introduced two more promising charity products; purchase e-card in 2010, and charity visa card in 2013, to ease the suffering of registered low-income people, he elaborated.
"Each and every card holds the beneficiary name, file number, and monthly contribution whereas the bank card can be used to get money or pay for food, appliances or any merchandise."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com