Dubai - To mark its tenth birthday, Shamin sent a very special message to the team that changed his life.
Published: Thu 16 Feb 2017, 5:48 PM
Last updated: Thu 16 Feb 2017, 6:35 PM
The ‘then and now’ portrait of Shamin, a young Bangladeshi village boy, shows how the noble initiative started by Dubai’s ruler has transformed lives of children across the world.
“I am so grateful for the help I received from Dubai Cares. You have given me so much hope for the future,” Shamin said in a very special message he sent to the team that changed his life.
Dubai Cares, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, marked its tenth birthday on Wednesday.
A decade ago, Shamin was one of the first children to receive support from Dubai Cares. Since then, the initiative has helped more that 16 million children, worldwide.
Commenting on Shamin's video message, Sheikh Mohammed fondly said:
"The boy I just saw reminded me of how much he grew up. This is (one of our many) journeys from day one and we thank you (the donors) a lot. We hope to continue this journey in the next ten years, and continue to teach because education is very important."
Dubai Cares has gone above and beyond for the world's needy, but CEO Tariq Al Gurg said it was Sheikh Mohammed who "planted the first seed".
"Initially, Sheikh Mohammed aimed to help one million needy children, but we have way exceeded that number and have since helped 16 million children from 45 developing countries."
While its emphasis during its first 10 years has been on supporting primary school-age children, the organisation will now extend its reach to address the systemic factors and causes behind the large number of out-of-school children and youth globally.
"263 million kids around the world do not receive an education and we want to change that," Al Gurg said.
And as he extended his gratitude to the UAE community and donors, he said it was time to look to the future.
Over the next 10 years, Dubai Cares will increase focus on funding interventions in areas where governments are unable to provide services to the most vulnerable children and young people.
It will also increase funding for research-oriented programs, and establish pilot initiatives that provide meaningful and valuable evidence for governments, policymakers, and civil society.
These plans are all aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 which is designed to be achieved by 2030.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed honoured donors from the community and unveiled a monument which featured and recognised the names of every single Dubai Cares donor who has supported the organisation throughout the past 10 years. Kelly@khaleejtimes.com
STATS
263m kids, worldwide, do not get an education
16m children supported by Dubai Cares, across 45 countries
10 years of giving from Dubai Cares
A representative of Amal Education Limited receives her certificate from Sheikh Mohammed for their support to Dubai Cares.
Sheikh Mohammed congratulates founder and chairman of GEMS Education Sunny Varkey for his contribution to Dubai Cares.
Kindergarten Starters students along with their principal Asha Alexander were honoured by Sheikh Mohammed for their support to Dubai Cares on its tenth anniversary.
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