Dubai: A labourers’ support group has funded one school year for six children of blue-collar workers in the UAE, with plans to back more children.
The Smart Life Foundation (SLF) handed over the informal “scholarships” – totalling under Dh50,000 – to four Indian fathers at the Al Tayer workers’ housing in Dubai’s Al Quoz area on Friday.
One man received scholarship for his two children, said SLF President Arun Krishnan. The workers were from different housing complexes in the UAE.
He added that one of the children benefiting is an aspiring MBA student whose father is struggling to ensure he graduates without financial interruptions.
Krishnan said the exact amount of the donations is yet to be formally audited, and will take the form of direct settlement with the schools.
This was the first pilot run of a new SLF fundraiser called Sapna, which means dream in Hindi. Most labourers in the UAE are from India and the Indian subcontinent, where Hindi is widely understood.
“I called my family back home today to say we’ve won school fees for my daughter, Shifa, who’s in grade two. They were so happy, this has never happened to us before,” said Salem Batnatti, a technician from India.
Shifa’s annual school expenses cost around Rs12,000 (around Dh735), Batnatti added.
The scholarship handover took place under the approval of the Community and Development Authority in Dubai.
Krishnan said those interested to learn more or volunteer in future projects can visit smartlifefoundation.org
