Campaign Raises Over Dhs2.8m To Fight River Blindness

The month-long Ramadan campaign which allowed community to take part will provide medication for 1.4 million people at risk of river blindness

Reach Campaign announced on Wednesday that its ‘Ramadan Challenge’ exceeded an original fundraising goal of Dhs2 million, raising more than Dhs2.8 million during the Holy Month, which will provide preventative medication for 1.4 million people at risk of river blindness.

The month-long Ramadan campaign reflected the Holy Month’s spirit of giving and was designed to allow the community to partake in charity while navigating social restrictions and safety measures in place to combat COVID-19. Conducted primarily on social media, the campaign focused on education and advocacy, while encouraging the local community to donate online or via text message and to show their support on social media. Emirates Red Crescent, strategic partner for the Reach Campaign, collected donations totalling over Dhs2.5 million across their platforms, including donation kiosks, the ERC website, and SMS donations. The addition of both TikTok and Abu Dhabi Media as official Reach Campaign media partners also helped raise awareness as well as funds.