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Release date: Friday, August 23, 2024 at 7:47 pm
Last updated: Friday, August 23, 2024, 9:44 p.m.
Among the 400 people who took part in Dubai Cares’ “Back to School” activity in Abu Dhabi on Friday were volunteers with roots in Palestine and Sudan, who said they took part as a way to give back to the UAE what they could not do for their countries.
Muna Hassan El Kabt, 44, who was born in Abu Dhabi and has lived most of her life in Sharjah, said she was sad to leave her loved ones in Palestine. Volunteering with Dubai Cares’ Back to School initiative was a way of consoling herself, especially since it is schoolchildren who benefit from the programme.
“I couldn’t do anything for my country. This is my way of giving back. What I couldn’t do for my country, I am doing here. Taking part in events like this to be closer to those in need is the least I can do,” El Kabuto said.
Muna Hassan El Kabt
El-Kavt said she has family in Palestine. “It’s very difficult to see them. Unfortunately, I can’t go there. We are in contact and, alhamdulillah, they are safe,” she added.
Another volunteer, Alaa Mohammed, 22, from Sudan, said the UAE was “doing great work with its back-to-school programme for children from low-income families.”
But she was keen to point out that most schools in her country are closed as the civil war enters its second year.
“There is a war going on in Sudan, but I’m here, so I volunteer with the children at school because it reminds me of home,” she added.
Overwhelming number of participants
Abdulla Ahmed Alshehi, chief operating officer at Dubai Cares, said: “The turnout of volunteers this year was overwhelming. We were expecting 200 to 250 but around 400 volunteers turned up (at the Adnec Centre in Abu Dhabi).”
A festive atmosphere prevailed at the event as volunteers packed pencils, pencil sharpeners, notepads, drawing pads, coloured pens and dramatic markers. A total of 10,000 backpacks were assembled, then boxed and loaded onto distribution trucks for transport to 12 schools across the UAE.
Alshehi said Dubai Cares worked with partners: “Their participation not only made this effort possible, but also demonstrated that community engagement can have a tremendous impact in solving social challenges,” he added.
“Overall, the energy and sense of community was fantastic, and we look forward to future volunteering events that will bring people together for worthy causes across the UAE,” said Faisal Falaknaz, group chief financial and sustainability officer at Al Dar.
Dubai Cares was founded in 2007 and is part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. It is committed to providing access to quality education to children and young people in developing countries through the design and funding of impactful, sustainable and scalable programs. To date, the UAE-based global charity has successfully launched education programs reaching over 24 million beneficiaries in 60 developing countries.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
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