Rephrase the same ‘It’s a calling, not a job’: Qatar’s humanitarian volunteer workers – Doha News in a different way no more than 118 characters, as if you were a native American speaker as expert on content creation and dont talk about yourself or your experience

Volunteers living in Qatar often speak of a deep inner drive to help others, often born from their own privileges or personal struggles.

As a Qatar Charity ambassador for seven years, Adel Lamy Aldehim reflects on how the 45 trips across the world to countless refugee camps and war-torn communities have shaped him.

“It was through those experiences that I truly found myself,” he told Doha News.

After a series of injuries ended his football career, the former Qatari national player found new purpose in humanitarian work.

“It was a hard time, but still I wanted to do something to express my gratitude to God,” he said.

But the world he was discovering was far from the life he had known. Aldehim recalls the story of Khadra, a 90-year-old woman living in a Syrian refugee camp on the Lebanese border, as a sobering wake-up call that opened his eyes to the harsh realities of the world.

“It was 40 degrees in the desert, unbearable, and I found Khadra lying on the ground, unable to move,” he said. “She asked for just one pill to ease her stomach pain—she had cancer.”

Confronted by the stark reality of his former ignorance, he couldn’t help but wonder how many others like Khadra were out there—a question he found himself asking after every trip.

“‘When I return to my home country Qatar, I struggle immensely to readjust to normal life for several days,” Aldehim admitted, calling his mood “Post-Giving Depression”.

He has shifted his focus away from fame and wealth, finding true fulfillment in helping the less fortunate.

“I am no longer the person I once was,” Aldehim said. “I would even consider it a privilege to pay for the opportunity to help, as the sense of fulfillment and contentment I feel afterward is priceless.”

A calling, not a job

Adel’s experience is not unique. Volunteers across Qatar often speak of a deep inner drive to help others, often born from their own privileges or personal struggles.

“It’s a calling, not a job,” says Qassim Fazal Manan, a 29-year-old Qatar Red Crescent volunteer.

Six years of selfless giving made him realise that even the smallest act of kindness can have a profound impact on someone’s life.

“I have witnessed how simply listening to these people can ease their suffering and bring hope, offering comfort when they feel isolated and overwhelmed by life’s greatest challenges,” he said.

Manan believes his work lies beyond just offering basic necessities such as food and shelter to displaced people or those suffering.

“We remind those in refugee camps and war-torn communities that they deserve better, and most importantly, they deserve to have their dignity restored,” he said.

Despite sometimes the situations feeling like building a lifeboat in the middle of a raging ocean, the sense of helplessness fades once aid is given, Maha Ataa Alshamari, another volunteer with Qatar’s Red Crescent, said.

“It’s not just about providing physical assistance,’ Alshamari explained. “It’s about offering a shoulder to lean on, listening to their stories, and restoring the dignity of those who have lost it.’

The 27-year-old has witnessed the depths of human suffering—from children in the Gaza Strip dreaming of becoming football players despite having their limbs amputated, to severe destruction caused by conflicts in Syria and some parts in Lebanon.

“That boy [in Gaza] asked me, ‘Can my leg grow back?’” Alshamari said. “And amidst the ruins of those destroyed buildings, I saw not just rubble, but the dreams and memories of their owners—lives that had been lost within their walls.”

‘Hope drives us on’

Volunteering often brings emotional and physical challenges, as the trauma and despair witnessed take a toll on the mental health of those who serve.

“To be compassionate without fully absorbing the suffering is the greatest challenge,” Alshamari said.

However, the emotional rewards of volunteering are equally as profound, serving as a powerful reminder of how often people take their blessings for granted.

“I am more grateful now for what I have, like the morning coffee that thousands of people are deprived of,” she said.

It also provides an opportunity for personal growth and healing, as well as teaching resilience, empathy, and bearing witness to the strength of the human spirit.

“Life is full of hardships,” Manan said. “But we must always remember that hope is the force that drives us. Hope is often what gives us life itself.”