Dubai: In an effort to support an initiative to house orphans, Union Co-op donated Dh3 million to cover the costs of constructing and equipping a villa in the Family Village project.

The Family Village, spearheaded by the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), plans to build 12 villas to accommodate 100 orphaned Emirati children. Each villa will house eight children under the care of a full-time ‘mother’. The project will also build a nursery to care for babies, a medical facility, a recreation area, and a kindergarten.

The Family Village project was launched after being picked from thousands of suggestions made by the public as part of the online initiative of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during Ramadan in 2012.

The donation is a part of Union Co-op’s mandate to give back to the community and support charitable initiatives in the UAE. Suhail Al Bastaki, Manager of the Media and Communication Department at Union Co-op, handed a cheque for the total amount of the donation during his visit to AMAF’s headquarters.

“I applaud AMAF’s efforts to care for the society’s underprivileged sections, particularly orphans who have no one to turn to,” Al Bastaki said.

“At Union Co-op, we believe serving society is a part of our corporate social responsibility. We are honoured to support AMAF’s unique charitable initiative in Dubai, and we believe that all organisations — private and public sector — should contribute proactively to advancing society through enabling community members, where needed and whenever possible.”

Tayeb Al Rais, Secretary-General of AMAF, said: “At AMAF we work with various public and private institutions and organisations to enhance and expand the waqf tradition and take care of minors as per Sharia principles. We thank the Union Co-op for its interest in the Family Village project, its generous donation, and consistent support to charitable projects that help improve the lives of the general public. This contribution will be allocated to cover the costs of a villa that will carry the Union Co-op’s name as an acknowledgement of our profound appreciation. We invite other organisations and companies to join hands with us to help advance this landmark project and similar AMAF initiatives.”