Expats must play big role in success

Dubai: A prominent UAE philanthropist has called on expatriate businessmen and individuals to donate generously to the Dubai Cares initiative because it will cover home countries of the potential donors.

The initiative, which was launched last month, will help children in countries like India, Pakistan as well as children in the developing world, said Juma Al Majid.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched on September 19 a multi-million dirham initiative to educate more than a million children worldwide.

Al Majid said citizens appreciate the generous contribution of Sunny Varkey, Indian businessman, to the project. He said the Dh100 million donation by the CEO of GEMS Group proves that expatriate businessmen are eager to see trustful channels through which to donate their money.

"Expatriate and local businessmen are willing to give for a good cause like education. I urge expatriate businessmen to follow Varkey's initiative and prove they care for their own citizens in the country and abroad the way Dubai cares for them," he said.

"I urge the leading members of the Indian community to discuss how the diaspora could support Dubai Cares projects," he said.

"Other expatriate communities living in the UAE are also invited to come up with ideas to support the initiative.

"Expatriates who enjoyed the high standards of living in the UAE and accumulated wealth by working and investing in the country should not hesitate when they are asked to donate for a good cause like Dubai Cares," he said.

The Dubai Cares campaign which was launched during Ramadan, aims at raising money from across Dubai's diverse community to pay for promoting education in some of the world's poorest countries and offer primary education to one million children.

Al Majid said the project is very big and requires everyone's support.

Essential

"Donations, small and big, are essential for the success of the project. The target, of helping one million children around the world, will be doubled if more donations pour in," he said. Furthermore, the initiative offers a legitimate channel for donors from all over the region.

"The success of this project will prove to the world that people in this region are attending to their international obligations and using their wealth for the benefit of needy people regardless of their ethnic and religious backgrounds," he said.

After September 11, philanthropists in the GCC refrained from giving donations to local charity organisations in order to avoid possible linkage with financing terrorism. Dubai Cares represents an ideal channel for them because everyone trusts the person [Shaikh Mohammad] managing the project, he said.

In addition, he said donors will get the best value for their money because donations will be invested in the education of children and preparing them to become productive members of their societies.

Al Majid insisted that all charitable acts should consider the benefits to the society.

"Firstly, I have to point out that this project is not by Dubai. It is by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid, who was behind the initiative from the beginning and will supervise its implementation till the end. No one in Dubai thought of the project before Shaikh Mohammad stood up on September 19 to announce the initiative.

"Secondly, Dubai has been a pioneer in every initiative whether it was business, cultural or charity as Dubai Cares.

"When the late Shaikh Rashid announced the construction of Rashid Port using loans from the UK, many people argued against Dubai building the biggest port in the region with borrowed money when richer countries in its neighbourhood with more trade were not investing in such projects.

The project, when it became operational, proved to be very strategic. The trade of many neighbouring nations has been coming through Dubai.

"The same argument was raised when Shaikh Rashid launched the construction work of Jebel Ali Port. which was even larger and similar arguments were heard when Shaikh Mohammad established Emirates airlines which started its operations when most airlines were losing business."

He said Dubai Cares will also be an astonishing success like its predecessor projects.

"We have to remember that when considering business Dubai is a world class business hub, and when it comes to culture it is a global cultural centre. It is also a platform for charity when it comes to giving aid to humanity... It is all of these qualities rolled in one city."

He dismissed suggestions that small contributions from community members were unnecessary when the Dubai Government can itself manage the capital.

"Dubai appreciates big and minor contributions from local and expatriate citizens for any of its charitable projects because these donations reflect the level of public support to the project and indicate the involvement of the citizens in the issue of the campaign.

"I am sure those who will contribute a little money by sending an SMS will have the same [great] feeling when Dubai Cares succeeds. Those who pay more because they can afford to do so will also have a great feeling of achievement.

"If we left Dubai Cares to be carried out by the government no one would have the joy of success that we are going to get with offering education to 1 million children from all over the world," Al Majid said.

'We campaigned for a school, but got two'

UAE philanthropist and businessman Juma Al Majid has said that public participation is vital for the success of any charity programme.

Recalling an incident in the early sixties that resulted in the setting up of two schools, Al Majid said: "In the late 60s we realised that Dubai was in need of a secondary school."

Up till that time schools in Dubai taught only till preparatory level, and that too through donations from the Kuwaiti government.

"We appreciate the Kuwaiti contribution but we knew that governments have budgets and that means there are limits on expenditure.

"Five men in Dubai, the late Humaid Al Tayer, the late Ahmad Bin Sultan Bin Sulayem, Abdullah Al Gurair, Nasser Bin Rashid Bin Lootah and myself, asked the late Shaikh Rashid to give us permission to collect donations for building a secondary school in Dubai.

"We used to meet in the souq after the Asr prayers in the afternoon to collect donations from traders after explaining our project. We would accept any amount of donation, including a few dirhams from a caretaker of a kiosk in the corner of the souq."

The project was a big success. "The amount we collected was so huge we could build two schools - Jamal Abdul Nasir Secondary School for boys in Bur Dubai and Ameenah School for girls in Deira," Al Majid said.

"All of Dubai, including those who contributed a few dirhams for the schools, celebrated the inauguration of the schools and felt that they took part in realising the project," he said.