Over 120,000 take part in Dubai Cares campaign

Dubai: Over 120,000 residents in the UAE took part in Dubai Cares' "Thirst for Education" campaign during Ramadan, according to Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State and Chairperson of the charity.

Al Hashemi said the campaign highlighted the vital link between children's access to education and the consumption of clean drinking water.

Limited access to clean water has a significant impact on millions of children, with over 443 million school days missed every year because children become ill from the water they drink.

Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic institution founded by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced the successful conclusion of the first phase of its Thirst for Education campaign that was carried out during the fasting month.

"Generous contributions to the Thirst for Education campaign from more than 120,000 members of the UAE community will provide children with access to clean drinking water which can ultimately increase school enrolment rates, decrease absenteeism and improve children's overall health.

"We are deeply grateful to the community for their continued support of our efforts to give children access to quality education globally," she added

The first country to benefit from the Thirst for Education campaign will be the East African country of Mali. The programme will target water and sanitation initiatives, including the building of water wells and latrines in schools and the training of children and parents on applied and effective hygiene practices. The call for proposals has been completed and the evaluation phase is currently underway for this multi-million dollar program.

Mali and the specific programs of the Dubai Cares intervention were selected using a demand-led review process conducted by Dubai Cares and their international NGO partners.

Mali was chosen to be the first country to benefit from the Thirst for Education campaign. It is one of the world's most disadvantaged countries, with around two-thirds of the population living below the poverty line and is ranked 174 out of 177 countries by the United Nations Human Development Index.