Today, Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, honored the participants as well as announced the winners in its ‘Dubai Cares Distinguished Philanthropic Award in Schools’ at a ceremony held at Roda Al Murooj Hotel in Dubai. The ceremony marked the conclusion of this year’s edition of the Award, which is taking place during “the Year of Zayed 2018”, witnessed the participation of students in private and public schools across the UAE.
The annual initiative which runs in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Education, and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), challenges UAE students to devise and execute creative fundraising ideas in support of Dubai Cares’ efforts to empower children and young people in developing countries with quality education.
On this year’s award, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares commented: “The 2018 edition of the Award, which commemorates the Year of Zayed, has demonstrated that the values and lessons of empathy, compassion and generosity shared by our late Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed, is shining from within this next generation. Today, we celebrate the wonderful creativity of the UAE’s young minds, who have shown a commendable understanding of the importance of extending a helping hand to those less fortunate than us. We thank every participant and every participating school for putting into action such impressive creativity and commitment, as well as our valued partners, whose support has enabled us to extend the coverage of the Award and ensure maximum participation among public and private schools in the country.”
The philanthropic competition consists of two categories. The Philanthropic School Award honors the school that raised the highest amount of funds, while The Young Philanthropists Award celebrates the group of five students who have devised the most creative and original fundraising concepts.
In the Young Philanthropists Award, GEMS Wellington Primary School earned the top prize for submitting a concept that was both creative and well thought-out. Also recognized were Delhi Private School and Formarke School who collected the second and third place awards respectively. In the Philanthropic School Award category, the first place award went to the Kindergarten Starters, and with GEMS Modern Academy and Dubai National School coming in second and third place respectively.
This year’s Award will support Dubai Cares’ Education in Emergencies efforts, particularly programs in Colombia, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Uganda which are providing children and young people with access to quality education in a safe and stable learning environment.
On the students’ fundraising ideas, Amal Al Redha, Director of Fundraising, said: “We are thrilled to see so many engaging and creative concepts capture the attention of the UAE community. The objective behind this Award is not only to help Dubai Cares raise funds and create an impact, but to also raise awareness amongst students about the obstacles to education and the importance of giving and supporting their peers around the world."
The objectives of the Distinguished Philanthropic Award in Schools reflect the legacy of humanitarian and philanthropic work of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE. The award also seeks to cultivate and enhance the spirit of giving among the UAE community, engage students in philanthropic work, strengthen the link between Dubai Cares and schools, and raise awareness of the obstacles to education in developing countries.