Dubai: Millions of schoolchildren in 24 countries have already benefited from nutrition and educational campaigns being run by Dubai Cares.
The programmes to ensure children have enough to eat and can attend school are two of many initiatives that the Dubai Cares charity is organising to achieve the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to improve children's access to quality primary education in developing countries.
The charity organisation has various programmes now under way in developing countries around the world in partnership with internationally recognised aid agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that have a proven track record of success in addressing the educational needs of children.
Dubai Cares CEO Tarek Al Gurg spoke to Gulf News about the charity's work.
"The primary education programmes of Dubai Cares reaches out to millions of children in 24 countries and we are also looking at a number of additional countries that could benefit from the campaign," he said.
Situation
Depending on the needs and situation in these countries, the beneficiary countries will be chosen after the campaign ends in November, Al Gurg said.
"The donations we receive from UAE residents will decide the number of countries that will eventually benefit from the campaign."
The CEO said Dubai Cares would implement a number of programmes to feed schoolchildren.
Some would provide meals, some would provide high-energy biscuits or snacks for all children; while other programmes would be in the form of take-home rations to be given to families as an incentive for them to send their daughters to school.
Al Gurg said the Dubai Cares campaign to feed schoolchildren began at the start of Ramadan and would end by the end of November.
"Dubai Cares as an organisation is contributing to shaping the global agenda to achieve by 2015 the United Nations' millennium development goals two and three, of guaranteeing universal primary education and promoting gender equality respectively," he said.
Global partnership
"Dubai Cares is also contributing to UN [millennium development goal eight], which entails developing a global partnership for development."
The CEO said Dubai Cares would continue to develop and implement primary education programmes in developing countries, which were benefiting millions of children.
Asked how he rated the level of donations from within the UAE, he said: "The UAE donated more than Dh32 billion ($117 billion) in foreign aid between 2000 and 2008 according to the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid (Ocfa), which recently also launched the UAE's first annual report on foreign aid".
Sustainable solutions
"The report stated that in 2009, donors from the UAE committed over Dh340 million in education-related projects, which contributed tremendously towards the [millennium development goal two] of achieving universal primary education.
The UAE community has also been extremely supportive towards Dubai Cares through their active participation and generous contributions.
Last year Ramadan's campaigns ‘Thirst for Education' and the ‘Water Bucket Walk', received contributions from over 120,000 UAE residents, and participation from over 5,000 residents respectively," he said.
"Our primary education programmes aim to provide long-term and sustainable solutions and include assistance with all fundamental components within the education value chain that includes water, sanitation and hygiene, school infrastructure, quality and capacity of education and health and nutrition. Dubai Cares is helping reduce the underlying causes that prevent children from gaining access to quality primary education through a comprehensive approach to development."
