Dahabshiil Receives Mayor's Award for 40 Years Excellence in the Community

LONDON, April 13, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Dahabshiil, the UK's leading money transfer provider to the Horn of Africa, has received the Mayor of Tower Hamlets Award for excellence in the community.

The award, presented by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Councilor Ahmed Adam Omer, recognises Dahabshiil's dedication and outstanding contribution to the local, national and international Somali community over the last 40 years.

Councillor Ahmed Adam Omer said: "I'm delighted to present Dahabshiil with the Mayor of Tower Hamlets Award for excellence in the community.

"Dahabshiil is a fantastic example of how businesses can integrate responsible business practices into mainstream operations, while benefiting its customers, the environment and its employees.

"Dahabshiil has been a pillar of our community for more than four decades and it's great to see an African business thriving and having such a huge impact throughout the UK and internationally."

Dahabshiil, which has 200 locations in the UK and an expanding network of more than 24,000 agents worldwide, is committed to supporting the Somali community around the world and invests more than 5 per cent of its annual profits into community regeneration projects involving the development of schools, hospitals, agriculture and sanitation.

In the UK, Dahabshiil sponsors a range of events, including the Somali Week Festival, where it helps to promote understanding and integration through Somali art and culture, and the Somali Youth Sports Association, which promotes sportsmanship and competition among players within the UK and in Europe.

Abdirashid Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil, said: "We are honoured to receive the Mayor of Tower Hamlets Award for excellence and it underlines our commitment to trust and community responsibility.

"We are extremely proud of our corporate citizenship philosophy and will continue to work on improving our initatives and develop new ones."

Dahabshiil employs more than 2,000 people across 144 countries and has provided money transfer and cash facilitation for some of the world's leading international aid agencies. Over 95% of the international organisations in Somalia, including the United Nations, World Health Organisation, World Bank, Oxfam and Save the Children, rely on Dahabshiil to provide payment services for their staff, contractors, government institutions and partner NGOs.

Abdirashid Duale added: "Transferring remittances is a lifeline for many people in the developing world whose friends or family live abroad and regularly send money home."

The award ceremony, held on Monday 12 April at Dahabshiil's UK headquarters in Tower Hamlets, was attended by Mayor Ahmed Adam Omer, Dahabshiil CEO Abdirashid Duale and members of Dahabshiil's staff.

SOURCE Dahabshiil