Dubai: The students and faculty of GEMS Wellington Academy, Al Khail, in cooperation with Dar Al Ber Society, raised Dh57,000 as a part of a Ramadan charity campaign to support Somali children.
The campaign, held under the theme ‘Children of Somalia: We Feel, We Care’ is in line with the ‘For Your Sake, Somalia’ campaign launched by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The humanitarian situation in Somalia is rapidly deteriorating due to the severe drought that started in the north in 2016 and is now affecting most of the country.
The school chose Somalia as a destination for donations this year since it is the most affected region of starvation, according to the United Nations.
The school’s initiative was organised by its Arabic and Islamic Studies Department.
Colin Callaghan, CEO and principal of the school, said: “This is a fantastic initiative, which I am very happy to support. Sadly, we live in a world in which too many people are suffering due to a lack of food and water. Our donations will not solve the underlying problems, but they will help to save lives that would otherwise have been lost, and this means the efforts of all our children will have been very worthwhile.”
Habiba Hamdan, head of the Arabic and Islamic Studies Department, said: “Our campaign was addressed to both Muslim and non- Muslim students aiming at solidifying the spirit of this holy month and introducing its values to them, believing that the states of goodness have no boundaries. The outcome of the campaign was amazing, as our students were the leaders. They were highly responsible and aware of the importance of what they were doing.”
During an event at the school held for the campaign, Magdi Naguib, head of customer service at Dar Al Ber Society, said: “We look forward to promoting such kind of charitable campaigns in all public and private schools in the UAE and GEMS Wellington Academy, Al Khail will be the role model for all schools to follow when launching such humanitarian campaigns.”
