Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was all praise for his 15-year-old daughter for leading by example in the UAE Food Bank initiative.
On his official Instagram page, he wrote: "Proud of my daughter Shamma who contributed today in the first volunteering activity as part of UAE Food Bank initiative. Our philosophy in the humanitarian work is simple ... Always lead by example."
The video, which has gathered over 83,000 views in 15 hours, Shaikha Shamma Bint Mohammad can be seen visiting a construction site on Shaikh Zayed Road, and distributing food to workers.
In an interview with the Arabic channel Dubai TV, Shaikha Shamma said: “I am glad to conduct this charity act along with my friends,” and also encouraged fellow students in the UAE to volunteer and help the needy.
The young royal was part of the first batch of volunteers in the Food Bank initiative, which aims to distribute 9,000 meals to construction sites in Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah.
The UAE Food Bank will be implemented in stages in collaboration with more than 500 volunteers of students from schools and universities in the UAE.
Around 10 per cent of hotels, restaurants and hypermarket chains in Dubai are already donating their edible excess food and goods to the needy.
The initiative coincides with the Year of Giving, which was declared by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month in December.
Speaking about the initiative, Shaikh Mohammad said: “The Year of Giving is a golden opportunity to unleash the humanitarian potential and charitable innovations of the UAE people and all local institutions. We are very pleased to begin the Year of Giving with an initiative related to the most important human need, food, to deepen the merit of generosity in Emirati people.”
“The UAE people are one on the most generous. We will try through the Emirates Food Bank to put this great value of generosity and feeding people within a sustainable institutional framework,” he added.
