Dubai Cares has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Council of the Chaplaincy of Dubai and Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, which has contributed Dh446,000 towards meeting the expenses of three primary schools operating under Dubai Cares' programmes in Palestine, Nepal and Senegal. Effective for three years, the partnership was a consequence of the chaplaincy's commitment towards promoting education in developing countries and comes on the heels of Dubai Cares' successful Ramadan campaign entitled, "We can teach each other".

Thanking the Chaplaincy for its support, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Cares, said, "On behalf of Dubai Cares, I would like to thank Reverend Moses Jeyakumar and the members of the chaplaincy council for their generous donation. Dubai has a diverse landscape of demographics but this donation illustrates how we can all band together to focus on achieving a worthy goal like universal education."

In addition to the contribution, the chaplaincy will also be exploring opportunities for congregation members to volunteer to help build the adopted schools, with the aim of instilling the spirit of service amongst them. "Dubai Cares is a beacon of hope from the United Arab Emirates to the rest of the world and this chaplaincy is delighted to be of support in this great endeavour," said Mathew Joseph, the Chaplaincy Council's Lay Chairman.

"I also wanted to commend Dubai Cares for its ongoing efforts towards empowering children in communities in need around the globe. By making education accessible to children isolated and handicapped by conflict, natural disasters or poverty, Dubai Cares is providing an entire generation with the skills to build a better future. This magnanimity is reflective of the philanthropic mind-sets of the rulers of the UAE, who have not only welcomed different communities into their fold but have also reached out and helped others around the world."

The Christian Protestant community has been a growing pillar of the expat population in the UAE since 1969, the year that marked the establishment of the Holy Trinity Church in Oud Metha. It is one of the oldest churches in Dubai, built on land graciously donated to the Christian community by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. There are currently churches in Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah, all established with the gracious approval of the rulers.

Over the past seven years, Dubai Cares, with the support of the UAE community, has been facilitating change and development in children's education in developing communities around the globe. Dubai Cares programmes are currently reaching more than 14 million beneficiaries in 39 developing countries.
Source: WAM