Today (08 January 2015), thousands of volunteers attended the first day of the community campaign held under the Dubai Cares 'Rebuild Palestine. Start with Education.' initiative. Individuals, as well as corporate and student volunteers came together to support Dubai Cares in assembling 50,000 school kits for the children of Gaza. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares alongside H.E. Issam Masalha, Consul General of Palestine in Dubai and Chargé d'affaires of the Palestinian Embassy in Abu Dhabi as well as Samir Ibrahim Abdul Hadi, Chairman of the Palestine Business Council kicked off the event at Al Boom Tourist Village.
Commenting on the campaign, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares said: "We thank in advance the entire UAE community, as well as all parties helping us in our efforts to alleviate the shortage of educational supplies in Gaza, in the aftermath of recent violence. As part of the Dubai Cares 'Rebuild Palestine. Start with Education.' initiative which was launched in October 2014, we also launched this community campaign to engage UAE residents to help us put a smile back on the faces of Palestinian children and protect their future opportunities by providing them with support, including the supplies they need in order to go back to school and pursue their education."
HE Essam Masalha, Consul General of Palestine in Dubai and Chargé d'affaires of the Palestinian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said: "We are very grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Dubai Cares for the generous initiative, 'Rebuild Palestine. Start with Education.' As a philanthropic organization, Dubai Cares aims to ensure that children in developing countries receive quality primary education. I thank God for blessing us with our dear brothers in the UAE. Under the wise guidance of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, I wish them more and more prosperity and success, and hope they receive the blessings of ongoing security and safety under such wise leadership, rational government, and kind people."
UAE residents, businesses and schools can register on site at Al Boom Tourist Village in Dubai to participate in assembling the school kits anytime between 10 am and 6 pm from January 8 to 11, 2015. Following the event, Dubai Cares will deliver the kits to the students currently studying in UNRWA schools in Gaza, in time for the start of the second half of the academic year.