Here’s your chance to help underprivileged kids

Dubai - The organisation has just laid down its plans for the next 10 years

Do you want to help positively impact the lives of 25,000 children in Tanzania? Or aid better school access for more than 2,500 children in Nepal? Well here’s your call to action.
The Dubai Cares is sending a call-out to donors, sponsors and supporters in the UAE to step up and share in its philanthropic vision as part of the Year of Giving.
The organisation has just laid down its plans for the next 10 years — after recently celebrating its 10th anniversary — and they need your direct support to help provide education to millions of needy children.
In its first 10 years, the Dubai Cares helped provide education to 16 million children in 45 developing countries.
Now, it wants to boost its current programmes and reach as many of the 263 million children who still don’t have access to education, as well as provide better quality education to the 250 million children around the world.
“Access and quality to education are the biggest areas of focus for us and given that it is the Year of Giving we want to instil within our community the values of giving and the importance of lending a helping hand,” Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer said on Tuesday.
As announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai recently, the success of Dubai Cares’ next Call to Action relies on collaboration from you, the UAE community.
So what's next?
This call to the UAE community provides a list of eight countries — which Dubai Cares is already working in — that they can support.
Spread across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, each country has different needs, so depending on the CSR objectives of a company or individual donor, they can decide how much to contribute (see box).
“These countries are aligned with the Year of Giving. If we get more money to support them we can scale up the pilot phase of the project, and implement it across that country,” Al Gurg said.
Additionally, the Dubai Cares is now looking to target six more countries in the Caribbean, South America and the Pacific too.
Kelly@khaleejtimes.com
Want to pledge your support? 
Individuals and organizations can contribute through direct financial commitment to Dubai Cares (more details at www.dubaicares.ae) or by mobilising staff to raise funds.  
Here's where your money will go: 
Country: Tanzania - Zanzibar Programme: Improving access to quality early childhood development Direct beneficiaries: 25,000 children Funds needed: Dh 5.1million
Country: Sierra Leone Programme: Provision of safe, predictable and quality education (plus psychosocial support) Direct beneficiaries: 4,000 children Funds needed: Dh7.3million
Country: Egypt Programme: Provision of safe, inclusive, quality education for girls Direct beneficiaries: 15,000 Funds needed: Dh8.26million
Country: Lebanon Programme: Provision of safe predictable and quality education (plus psychosocial support) Direct beneficiaries: 4,600 Funds needed: Dh8million
Country: Iraq - Kurdistan Programme: School construction to improve access Direct beneficiaries: 1,365 children Funds needed: Dh3.77million
Country: Nepal Programme: School construction to improve access Direct beneficiaries: 2,500 Funds needed: Dh4million
Country: Ethiopia Programme: School-based deworming Direct beneficiaries: 15.6 million Funds needed: Dh4.8million
Country: Kenya Programme: Teacher development to improve student learning Direct beneficiaries: 119,600 children Funds needed: Dh 6.6 million
The first three donors who stepped up to support Dubai Cares' 10-year Call To Action: 
Rashed Ali Al Ansari
Al Ansari Exchange
Current pledge: Dh10 million
"We stepped forward with the most humble gratitude to participate with Dubai Cares. CSR initiatives are important to us, it is our culture. Our priority is to stretch every dirham we have, to have the maximum impact of people's lives. Education and healthcare are the two core things that impact people's lives and with regards to education, Dubai Cares has a level of reach like no other."
Mahesh Menda (Individual donor)
World of Electricals
Current pledge: Dh 1 million
"When I was a kid I didn't have the pocket money to buy my favorite snack so I used to think I'll take it from a friend. But my mother taught me never to hold my hand out, always give. There is an old Chinese proverb that says, 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' I personally believe education is the key to success as it opens new horizons for children and young adults and it has always been closest to my heart."
Yusuff Ali MA
LULU Group International
Current pledge: Dh10 million
"As part of our CSR policy, we have always been very closely associated with various humanitarian initiatives by the UAE government. The tremendous work done by Dubai Cares till date is commendable and we see very real and tangible change in the lives of many underprivileged people around the world."

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