Dubai
UAE-based volunteers have completed a volunteering mission in Siw village in Senegal, where they participated in the construction of a new school, as part of a Dubai Cares initiative.
The 13 volunteers, representing 11 nationalities and various professional backgrounds, were selected by Dubai Cares, part of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, to form the volunteering group for the second edition of the ‘Volunteer Globally 2019’ initiative.
From November 23 to 30, the volunteers joined the local community to set the foundation for a new community-based school that will benefit 60 children (with 50 per cent female enrolment) and 60 illiterate adults directly, as well as 300 adults from the community indirectly.
The school construction was sponsored by Maersk-Kanoo, one of the largest container ship and supply vessel operators in the world.
Beyond participating in the construction activities, the volunteers had the opportunity to interact with the local community for a week.
Leading the volunteer group, Abdulla Ahmed Alshehhi, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Cares, said: “With every edition of ‘Volunteer Globally’, our sense of accomplishment – both in terms of our impact on the community as well as volunteer engagement – grows. All the volunteers who have joined us in this edition, as well as previous ones, return back to Dubai with a fresh perspective on life and a new understanding of their place in the world.”
Mohammed Ali Bin Ailan Al Shamsi, Charge d’Affaires a.i at the UAE Embassy in Dakar, said: “The UAE Embassy highly appreciates Dubai Cares’ outstanding efforts in Senegal. Dubai Cares is one of the leading UAE philanthropic organisations, delivering vital services to people in Senegal by providing quality education to children in this country. This support to Senegal stems from the organisation’s firm belief in the power of education in changing the lives of communities and people.”
He added: “Dubai Cares’ initiatives in Senegal are widely recognised at the official and popular levels. The Minister of Civil Service, Mariam Sar, has recently hailed Dubai Cares’ ongoing and impactful development aid programs in the education sector in Senegal, in reference to the distribution of 30,000 school bags for children in the central city of Kulch.”
