Dubai Cares

FAQs

General

What is Dubai Cares?

Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, is a UAE-based philanthropic organization working towards providing quality education for children and young people in developing countries through the design and funding of programs that aim to be integrated, impactful, sustainable and scalable. 

This is achieved through building and renovating schools and classrooms, improving water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, providing school feeding, de-worming activities, early childhood education, as well as teacher training, curriculum development, literacy and numeracy and youth empowerment.

What Dubai Cares logo Stand for?

The Dubai Cares logo represents our mandate of reaching out to a world deprived of education. The five graphic hands symbolize the five continents and the multi-colors represent happiness and well-being spread across the globe.

Programs

How we work?

Dubai Cares programs are designed to support early childhood development; provide access to quality primary and secondary education; offer technical and vocational education and training for youth; as well as address the pressing and urgent challenge of education in emergencies and protracted crises.

Gender equality is also a priority across our education programs that insist on securing safe learning environments with appropriate and adequate facilities, materials and gender-sensitized academic support for boys and girls – without any discrimination.

In addition, Dubai Cares funds research-oriented programs and establishes pilot initiatives that provide impactful and valuable evidence for governments, policymakers and civil society, to support them in defining an educational framework for the future. Central to its model of intervention is capacity development at national level through the support of local education stakeholders and a focus on monitoring, evaluation and learning.

Where We Work?

Dubai Cares has impacted the lives of more than 18 million individuals in 57 developing countries. 

Dubai Cares has supported education programs 57 developing countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Comoros Islands, Colombia, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe

How does Dubai Cares choose where to work?

We are committed to contributing to SDG 4 and we prioritize aid to support countries with poor indicators that are not on track to achieving SDG4 by 2030.

Moreover, we prioritize our aid towards the world's least developed countries based on the United Nation Statistics Division, focusing on both basic and education indicators including, but not limited to: Human Development Index, Extreme Poverty Incidence, Improved Sanitation Facilities, Malnutrition Prevalence, Net School Enrollment Rate in Primary School, Primary School Attendance Ratio, Parity Index Girls/Boys in Primary School and Literacy Rate.

In addition to this, Dubai Cares works on identifying the challenges related to Education in Emergencies and initiatives to best address them. As such, we are committed to increase the share of our Education in Emergencies programs to 33% of our financial portfolio.

We have also announced our commitment to further expand the evidence base in relation to what works in Education in Emergencies and protracted crises by spending 10% of all of our education in emergencies funding on research and evaluations.

 

How is Dubai Cares contributing to education in emergencies globally?

Despite the growing number of children caught in conflict and natural disasters, statistics show only 2% of overall humanitarian aid is spent on education. This makes the needs of children living in fragile states an urgent priority for Dubai Cares. 

In July 2015, during the Oslo Summit on Education for Development, Dubai Cares highlighted the need for a greater focus to be placed on the various fragile and conflict-affected states and situations. We then announced in September 2015 on the sidelines of the 70th UNGA week in New York that it would champion Education in Emergencies in order to address the critical need to provide quality education to children affected by crisis.

This was followed by an announcement in May 2016 at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, where Dubai Cares committed to increase the share of its Education in Emergencies programs to 33 per cent of its financial portfolio over the next two years, out of which 10 per cent of all funding for Education in Emergencies will be invested in research and evaluations. Also at the Summit, Dubai Cares was selected as a member of the newly formed High-Level Steering Group for the Education Cannot Wait fund. As part of the Group, Dubai Cares will contribute to leverage additional finance and catalyze new approaches to funding and innovation to deliver education in emergencies and protracted crises. In addition, Dubai Cares represents all private foundations at the High Level Steering Group for the fund. Education Cannot Wait is the first global fund to prioritize education in humanitarian action.

What is Evidence for Education in Emergencies (E-Cubed)?

In September 2016, during the 71st UNGA, Dubai Cares announced a new Research Envelope known as Evidence for Education in Emergencies (E-Cubed), which aims to generate more and better evidence to inform decision and policy-makers on what works and what models of delivery of education in emergencies offer the greatest potential for impact.

In March 2017, Dubai Cares was selected as a member on the Steering Committee of the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). As a Steering Committee member, Dubai Cares is able to influence the strategic direction of one of the most important conveners of knowledge and resources in the education in the emergencies sector. With more than 13,000 members, INEE is bringing together stakeholders across various domains to foster dialogue, influence positive change in education in emergencies policy and practice, advance research to build the evidence, and support the establishment of partnerships to address common challenges in the sector and work towards shared solutions.

Does Dubai Cares play a role in shaping the Global Education Agenda?

Globally, Dubai Cares plays an important role in advancing the education development agenda. It seeks to be a technical convener on education issues, especially in developing and contributing to the post-2015 agenda, and as a champion of innovative programs and policies. For instance, Dubai Cares has been supporting the Learning Metrics Task Force (LMTF), a platform convened by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, contributing to the development of learning metrics for delivering quality education and establishing a defined mechanism to influence the post-2015 education framework. In February 2012, Dubai Cares hosted the second LMTF meeting in Dubai to identify common learning goals in order to improve learning opportunities for children and youth across the world. Currently, Dubai Cares is supporting two LMTF champion countries with the adoption of recommendations, enabling them to measure a more holistic set of learning outcomes.

Dubai Cares was also selected by former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, to join as a partner in his 5-year Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) which was launched in September 2012 during the week of the 67th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to ensure quality, relevant and transformative education for all children across the world.

As part of the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Paris during April 2014, Dubai Cares joined a global alliance led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with 13 leading pharmaceutical companies, global health organizations, private foundations and donors, and governments pledging support to reduce the global burden of NTDs. One of Dubai Cares’ strategic approaches to improving student enrollment and learning outcomes is through an integrated school health and nutrition model that is made up of school-based deworming activities, school feeding and WASH (Water Sanitation & Hygiene) in schools.

What organizations is Dubai Cares partnering with to implement its programs ?

Dubai Cares has been investing heavily in developing innovative partnership models that not only promote enhanced program delivery, but also institutional and sectoral learning. Dubai Cares has partnerships with organizations such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Care International, GAIN, Global Network, Oxfam GB, Plan International, Save the Children, The Partnership for Child Development, UNICEF, UNRWA, WFP, among others. Additionally, Dubai Cares seeks to establish and maintain strategic relationships with likeminded organizations to co-fund programs that advance their distinct but related missions.

Is Dubai Cares giving money to governments?

All our funding goes to international organizations and NGOs who are our implementing partners in developing countries. Our programs are in line with the national strategic plan of host government in beneficiary countries. Our aim is to forge long-term collaborative relations with local governments in developing countries for effective implementation and sustainable impact.  

What has Dubai Cares achieved so far since its inception?

To date, Dubai Cares has impacted the lives of children and their communities by:

  • 782 water wells & potable water sources
  • 484,500 children provided with nutritious food
  • 34.4m children de-wormed
  • 6.6m books distributed
  • 12,417 teachers trained
  • 6,055 latrines
  • 2,029 classrooms and schools built and renovated

Why should you support Dubai Cares?

We believe that every child deserves a better future. Without your support, we can’t do what we are doing now. Whether you give, volunteer or support us, your generosity can make a big difference in children and young people's lives around the world.  

How can you support Dubai Cares?

Dubai Cares’ efforts can be supported in numerous ways – volunteering with Dubai Cares through our community engagement initiatives, spread awareness, or make a donation.

Fundraising

What is Dubai Cares’ source of funding?

The launch of Dubai Cares signaled the beginning of an 8-week fundraising campaign, during which Dubai’s diverse community of corporations, social clubs, individuals and school children came together to donate AED1.75 billion (USD478 million). The amount was doubled when, during Dubai Cares’ closing ceremony on November 25, 2007, HH Sheikh Mohammed announced that he would match every Dirham raised in the campaign, bringing the total to AED3.4 billion (USD1 billion). In addition to the launch fundraising campaign, Dubai Cares regularly raises funds from the UAE community.

How to donate to Dubai Cares?

Even the smallest amount can make a big difference in a child's life. You can make a donation through a cheque in the name of Dubai Cares sent to our offices or a bank transfer to the following account: xxx.

Only monetary donations are accepted in Dubai Cares. In certain campaigns such as “Reading Nation” we accepted the books but that is not an ongoing campaign.

Your gift will give the most vulnerable children and young people around the world access to Education and to hope.

Community Engagement

What Dubai Cares is doing to engage the UAE community?

In the UAE, Dubai Cares engages residents through a series of volunteer, awareness and fundraising initiatives that are linked to its global mandate. These initiatives include the Walk for Education, Volunteer Emirates, Volunteer Globally and the annual Ramadan Campaign.

How can I volunteer with Dubai Cares?

We have a series of planned activities throughout the year which we invite the community to participate in. Full details of upcoming volunteering initiatives will be announced on Dubai Cares’ website www.dubaicares.ae as well as by email to Dubai Cares’ supporters and via our social media platforms. As per our policy, we do not reserve spots as we recruit volunteers on a first come first served basis. Also, we would like to invite you to register on the UAE Volunteer Platform (www.volunteers.ae) and the Community Development Platform (www.cda.gov.ae). The first step is to create your profile on the platform then you can browse the available initiatives and register. These platforms will be the only official platform used by Dubai Cares to recruit volunteers.

Human Resources

How can I join the Dubai Cares team?

To be considered for any of our opportunities, you must apply via this website, which will ensure that your resume is seen by our Human Resources team.

Due to volume, we are not able to contact each interested job seeker. If selected for consideration, you will be contacted by a member of our HR team to discuss our recruitment process.

Can I apply for an internship?

Dubai Cares offers a variety of unpaid internship positions that provide a unique opportunity for experience and expansion of knowledge in the philanthropic sector. Interns have the chance to work under the direct supervision of an experienced Dubai Cares’ staff member to help guide their development of skills within their chosen field. Please check the required conditions and apply for an internship on Dubai Cares’ career page.

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