Students to launch mobile app to help donors find needy

AMMAN — A group of 10 engineering students in Amman plan to launch soon a mobile app that would offer information on needy families across the Kingdom.

The students, who established Elaph Volunteer initiative last year to support underprivileged families, say the app will provide philanthropists with the financial conditions of families and their contact details. 

"This is our next step. It will facilitate donation for the people in need. All the payments will be documented with receipts.” Said Malek Zoubi, one of the founders. 

Zoubi and his close friend, Abdul Raheem Abu Omar, started the Elaph initiative last year prompted by their passion for offering a helping hand to people in need. 

The 21-year old told The Jordan Times over the phone that in Ramadan of last year Elaph volunteers distributed water and dates to over 1,200 motorists and pedestrians in the streets of Amman, noting since its launch, the plan has been expanding to include in-kind and cash assistance to needy people. 

"We work all year around. Not only in Ramadan," he said. 

“Just yesterday we received a call from a woman who has three children, one of them suffers from Down syndrome who needs two treatment sessions a weeks that only cost JD10. This is the type of people we seek to support," he noted. 

For this year's Ramadan, which will begin June 6 or 7, the group plans to launch a similar initiative of last year but on a larger scale as the team in the field will be around 500 people. 

As soon as the group posted on its official Facebook page about their planned project to start on the first day of the fasting month, nearly 10,000 social media users expressed interest to give them a hand. 

Dozens of young Christians are interested to hit the streets with the volunteers in Ramadan, Zoubi said. 

“The event is part of volunteering programme that includes distributing charity packages to poor families, organising mass iftars and giving away Eid clothes,” the engineering student said. 

The initiative has announced a meeting in Saqiet Al Daraweesh, in Jabal Luweibdeh on May 26 at 4pm, to meet with interested volunteers and donors.