MRC15: Celebrating 15 years of Humanitarian Service
Marking 15 years of humanitarian service, MRC held an event to showcase the work of the national society, its mandate and its history, as well as to show appreciation for those who have helped MRC become the organisation it is today. The event was made special with the attendance of the Chief Guest, Asia Pacific Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Alexander Matheou. Other guests included government representatives, members of the MRC interim planning group, former Presidents and Secretary Generals of MRC, current and long-serving staff and members, partners, representatives from national societies in the South Asia region.
During her opening remarks, MRC Interim President Ms. Rasheeda Ali elaborated on how organization came into being in the Maldives in the early years. She expressed her gratitude to the members of the interim planning group for their exceptional contribution for the formation of the national society and noted the significant strides the National Society has taken since its inception through the support former and current members of MRC’s leadership, Staff, members and volunteers.
The Chief Guest, IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Director Mr. Alexander Matheou, provided his insight and perspective on the role of the Maldivian Red Crescent within the community and the larger Red Cross Red Crescent Movement as a young national society in his remarks, commending MRC on its efforts and expressing hopes for the future.
During the event, awards of recognition were provided to current members of staff, long serving members of staff (former and current) who have contributed 5 years of service or more to the organisation, members of leadership including former MRC Presidents, Secretary Generals as well as members of the Interim Planning Group for their contributions to the organization. Key partners of MRC were also recognized through awards of recognition for their support towards MRC’s humanitarian mission.
Leadership members of the National society were recognized for their exceptional leadership and dedicated service.
Staff who have served the organization for 5 or more years were recognized at the event for their significant contributions to the organization.
Members of the Interim Planning Group, who led the process of establishing a Red Cross Red Crescent national society in the Maldives since 2007 with the support of the IFRC, as well as former leadership members were recognized for their contributions towards the formation of MRC.
A word of thanks was given by Mohamed Adeel, one of the longest serving members of staff who has been involved in MRC since 2010 and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement before the formation of the national society. He shared his insights on the growth experienced by the organization, highlighting his endeavours with the national society throughout the years, the significant contributions of former and current peers, major milestones, and hopes for the future.
In the closing remarks, MRC Secretary General, Ms. Fathimath Himya, spoke on MRC’s key strategic work, recognizing the key role of its partners and the importance of the hard work and dedication of MRC’s volunteers, members and staff to effectively provide humanitarian services and reach the most vulnerable.
Launch of MRC Hub
During the event, MRC also marked another key milestone with the launch of the mobile application -the ‘MRC Hub’. The MRC Hub is a one stop digital platform which aims to ease the process of participating in MRC’s humanitarian mission and accessing services provided by MRC through integrating volunteer member management through a mobile application.
Over the past decade and a half, MRC has worked to positively impact communities across the Maldives with its work. We continue to build and maintain trust with the people we help, providing humanitarian services impartially, neutrally, and independently. The event held to celebrate 15 years of humanitarian service recognised some of the key individuals and partners who have contributed to MRC's journey – however, many more have also dedicated their time and effort to building the capacity of the national society along the way, making the organisation what it is today. As such, our mission is to continue serving the community in various areas, working to alleviate human suffering and assist the most vulnerable.
Read more on our MRC15 celebrations here.