Thousands of residents from across the UAE participated in the ‘Walk for Education 2010’ organized by Dubai Cares, the UAE-based philanthropic establishment founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in support of children with limited or no access to primary education globally. Currently, 72 million children across the world do not attend school, with 95 per cent of these being in developing countries; the walk was highly successful in raising awareness among the participants and the community about the issues impeding these children’s access to primary education.
The 3-km “Walk for Education 2010” was held on Friday, 26th November 2010 along Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai and the response from various members of the UAE community including school children, university students, members of social clubs, and corporate and government entities was extremely overwhelming.
Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares said, “The phenomenal response and support that we received from the UAE community for the ‘Walk for Education 2010’ is truly amazing and we thank all participants, sponsors, donors and volunteers for their support. UAE residents turned up in large numbers but what was really heartwarming was witnessing participants from all walks of life, come together and enthusiastically participate in the walk in support of children in developing countries who walk an average of 3 kilometers everyday to acquire an education.”
Al Gurg added, “Research shows that an important deterrent to primary school enrollment is the proximity of schools to primary age children1, where students living less that 1 kilometer from their school perform statistically better than those who walk farther. The phenomenal response that we have received from the UAE community encourages us to work harder towards helping attain the UN Millennium Development Goal 2 of achieving universal primary education by 2015.”
Faisal Mohammed, 31, a UAE resident said, “I participated in Dubai Cares’ ‘Water Bucket Walk’ last year and I am really excited to be part of the walk this year as well. Children are the future of tomorrow and it is very important that every child receives an education. This is a great community initiative and is an eye-opener for all of us. By participating in this event, I know I can make a difference and I will surely participate in future events.”
The Dubai Cares ‘Walk for Education 2010’ was sponsored by The Kanoo Group and PepsiCo, with the support of the organizing partners Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police and Roads and Transport Authority, and the in-kind donors who have all ensured the success of the event and a memorable experience for all.