Dubai Cares

e-Cares is a web-based community fundraising initiative that provided high school students in Dubai an opportunity to play the role of fundraiser as well as donor to charities that support children’s access to primary education globally. In April 2009, Dubai Cares announced funding for the top twelve charities. The charities receiving funding are based locally and throughout the world. The total amount awarded to all the charities is approximately AED 500,000.

Over 1,350 students submitted 350 campaigns as part of the e-Cares Initiative

Over 1,350 students submitted 350 campaigns as part of the e-Cares initiative, which provided students a virtual platform to use their social networking skills in support of children’s primary education all over the globe.

The students were asked to identify a charity working in the field of education and then build a web-campaign to illustrate why they felt their charity deserved funding from Dubai Cares.  In designing the campaigns, the students were asked to research key problems and issues that prevent children in developing nations from accessing quality, primary education.  Students’ research was used as the basis to select a charity that best addresses these problems and then build a web-campaign to promote the charity for funding from Dubai Cares.

After narrowing down 356 submissions, 27 campaigns that best met the criteria set out for the students were put into the funding round. The next step invited all high school students who registered to spend 1,000 “Virtual Dirhams” on the campaigns they felt best represented the type of organizations Dubai Cares should support.

In the final phase, Dubai Cares selected the top 12 campaigns, based on funding, and will now send grants to these organizations on behalf of the students who participated in the e-Cares challenge.  The grants to these 12 global education charities total 459,390 AED.

Dubai Cares applauds the efforts of the high school students who participated and is honored to fund these worthy initiatives.

1- Charity: Al Noor

Objective: Work to educate children with special needs from infancy until they are able to integrate into society.
Amount Raised: 60,840 AED
Students: Pallavi Mathur, Sarah Siddiqua, Sabeena Basheer - The Indian High School
“Educating disabled children really works like magic.”

2. Charity: Africa Educational Trust

Objective: Work with local communities to develop primary and secondary education in areas affected by conflict in Africa.
Amount Raised: 54,000 AED
Students: Lauren Devine, Elena Adi - Sheffield Private School
“eCares gave us an opportunity to help children less fortunate than ourselves. It really is heart breaking to see how some people cannot even afford to buy a simple pencil.”

3. Charity: Charity Water

Objective: Work toward providing clean drinking water to people in developing nations.
Amount Raised: 48,800 AED
Student: Diala Al-Qadi - Al Mawakeb School
"It was really nothing, who knew writing a few words would make a difference?"

4. Charity: Pearls of Africa

Objective: Help disabled children in Africa to live more inspired lives.
Amount Raised: 48,000 AED
Students: Aqdas Muzaffar, Uzair Elahi, Rana Hussien, Muhammad Motiwala, and Abdullah Fahad - Sheffield Private School
“Most people aim to help children that live in poverty, but we wanted to do more than that and help poor disabled children. They seem to be forgotten ones. We want to help them as soon as possible.”

5. Charity: Ruchika

Objective: Provide basic education, vocational training, nutrition, medical treatment and emergency services to street children and child laborers in India.
Amount Raised: 47,000
Student: Arati Narendran - Dubai Modern High School
“eCares is about helping people who cannot return the favor”

6. Charity: EduKaid

Objective: Provides primary and secondary school support, teacher training, student sponsorship, and school lunches in Africa.
Amount Raised: 37,450 AED
Student: Anusha Kodirova - Pristine Private School
“Ever since I was young, I have always promised myself that someday I would help at least three poor children from Africa. I thank eCares for giving me this chance of keeping my promise and hopefully turning it into an action.”

7. Charity: Right to Play

Objective: Bring education to students through athletics.
Amount Raised: 32,000 AED
Student: Ashwin Menon - The Indian High School
“Dubai Cares has been a great experience and truly gives meaning to the words, ‘Anyone can make a difference.”’

8. Charity: A Glimmer of Hope

Objective: Help the rural poor in Ethiopia lift themselves out of poverty through improved water and sanitation and access to education programs.
Amount Raised: 29,500 AED
Student: Feba Rachel Babu - The Indian High School
“I am extremely happy and proud to be part of the eCares program and doing my bit to change the fate of these children. I hope this program is successful.”

9. Charity: Oprah’s Angel Network

Objective: Awards grants to organizations around the world that are improving access to education and developing communities of support.
Amount Raised: 28,600 AED
Students: Shilpa Rajan, Shraddha Iyer, Veena Manimaran, Vidhyashri Venkatesh, Shweta Sharma - The Indian High School
“We think eCares is an excellent outlet for us to help those children who are less privileged than us. We are proud to be a part of this prestigious program. We are thankful to Sheikh Mohammed for giving us this opportunity.”

10. Charity: Camfed

Objective: Work in rural areas of Africa to eradicate poverty by educating and empowering girls.
Amount Raised: 28,500 AED
Student: Keertana Muralidharan - Dubai Modern High School
“eCares provides students of Dubai with a unique opportunity to be socially aware and to reach out to the underprivileged.”

11. Charity: Dubai Center for Special Needs

Objective: Work with children with special needs in Dubai to provide a brighter future.
Amount Raised: 23,200 AED
Student: Omar Abdullah Saeed - Al Khaleej National School
“All people deserve to experience life from all of its aspects, and participating in this campaign was my best chance to thank life for what it gave me and let other people experience it too.”

12. Charity: ANERA

Objective: Provide access to education for refugees through school construction, after-school programs, IT instruction, and programs for students with special needs.
Amount Raised: 21,500 AED
Student: Harish Khanchandani - Dubai Modern High School
“Taking part in the eCares challenge was fun, it helped me get to know new organizations of education and it was a very good experience”