Dubai: The Reading Nation campaign that started on the first day of Ramadan (June 6) concluded on Wednesday, exceeding its target of five million books to reach over 8.2 million books that will be distributed to unprivileged children and students in Arab and Muslim countries.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who had launched the project as this year’s Ramadan initiative, made the announcement on his official Twitter account (@HHShkMohd) on Wednesday.
Shaikh Mohammad said: “As we have entered the last ten days of Ramadan, we conclude today [Wednesday] our Reading Nation Ramadan campaign with 8.2 million books to be provided to those who need them. The books will open wide doors of hope for millions of needy students and refugees. They embody the divine message that we are truly a ‘Read’ nation. I thank everyone who has supported this initiative. Ramadan will always be a month of charity, and the UAE is, and will always remain, a generous nation and a global capital of benevolence.”
Tareq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares, with volunteers who supported the campaign’s events in schools and assisted donors. WAM
With total cash donations of over Dh80 million for funding the books, in addition to direct book donations, the campaign will provide students with a total of more than 8,280,000 books.
Work has already started on buying, printing and distributing books, said Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General, Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. He added that thousands of schools in Arab and Muslim countries that need books have been listed. The campaign team has also raised the number of beneficiary libraries from 2,000 to 3,500.
“The most important outcome of the Reading Nation campaign is the belief that the fastest way to eradicate poverty is through eliminating ignorance as His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said at the beginning of the campaign,” Al Gergawi said.
Emirates Red Crescent (ECS) responded swiftly to the campaign during the first week of its launch by distributing 500,000 books to Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Kurdistan. Additionally, 500,000 books were dedicated to Syrian refugees in the Emirati-Jordanian Camp in the first phase, to be followed by two million books to refugee camps — half of them in Iraq and the other half in Jordan. ECS, in cooperation with the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation — part of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives — has announced that it will distribute 100,000 books to a number of public libraries in Yemen.
The campaign initially aimed to provide five million books to children in refugee camps and underprivileged students in schools across the world. Two million books were to be distributed to refugee children and a further two million books to establish more than 2,000 school libraries around the world. In addition, the campaign was also mandated to support the educational programmes implemented by the UAE’s humanitarian organisations worldwide, with one million books.
However, the initiative exceeded its targets thanks to the great response from various entities and individuals in the UAE, with over 8.2 million books to be printed and distributed, and the number of beneficiary libraries increasing to 3,500, up from 2,000.
Volunteers at Al Boom Tourist Village in Dubai prepare boxes of books to be donated to needy students. Clint Egbert/Gulf News
Over 700 volunteers helped the campaign by receiving and sorting books and raising donations. Meanwhile, more than 500 schools across the UAE participated in the Reading Nation campaign. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the campaign organised an open week in all schools in the country to encourage students to donate books.
The campaign’s auction, which sold rare items, including items from Shaikh Mohammad’s collection, was a huge success, generating Dh41 million in sales.
Cash donations also poured in from Emirati businessmen, UAE companies and members of the expatriate community.
Reading Nation in numbers
- 8.28 million books to be donated to refugee children and struggling schools in Arab and Muslim world
- Dh80 million raised to buy, print and distribute books
- 3,500 libraries across the world stand to benefit from the campaign
- 700+ volunteers helped the campaign by receiving and sorting books and raising donations
- 500+ schools urged students to donate books and raise awareness
- 23 days was the length of the campaign
Campaign highlights
Open Week (June 12-16)
More than 500 schools across the UAE participated in the Reading Nation campaign. In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the campaign organised an open week to encourage students to donate books. Dubai Cares provided schools with special boxes to collect donated books, in addition to tags for students to write messages to beneficiary children.
Charity auction (June 21)
Held as per the directives of Shaikh Mohammad, and attended by Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, in addition to senior officials, the Reading Nation campaign’s auction generated over Dh41 million in sales — enough to provide 4.1 million books. The charity auction sold all offered items, including a 106-year-old piece of the Kaaba’s Kiswa (cover) donated by Shaikh Mohammad that generated Dh2.1 million in sales.
Volunteer work (throughout campaign)
In cooperation with Dubai Cares, the Reading Nation campaign recruited over 700 volunteers from UAE citizens and residents who supported the campaign’s events in schools and helped donors complete the donation process and write personalised messages. On June 25, Dubai Cares organised an open day at Al Boom Tourist Village in which more than 400 volunteers helped sort books and put them in special boxes to distribute them to their beneficiaries.
