eCares Program offers high school students opportunity to play role of fundraiser and donor
Building on the success of the Million Book Challenge, Dubai Cares is now encouraging students to participate in the latest program. The charitable establishment that aims to provide access to quality primary education in developing countries, announced the launch of eCares (www.ecares.ae), has introduced a web-based community fundraising initiative that gives high school students an opportunity to play the role of a fund raiser as well as a donor to charities that support primary education globally.
eCares includes two phases: Phase I – The Fund Raiser (November 12 – 24) and Phase II – The Donor (November 26 – 30) – and is the latest program introduced by Dubai Cares as part of its Volunteer Campaign, launched in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on 2 November, 2008.
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: “In an effort to reach out to every demographic, Dubai Cares’ volunteer campaign is offering programs and initiatives that resonate across many segments of the UAE population. eCares is our approach to engage technologically inclined and Web savvy high school students in Dubai.”
Her Excellency added: “eCares is also a fun and exciting way of empowering students since virtual platforms essentially minimize the limitations that one’s creativity encounters in the real world. eCares shows students how they can use their unique skills to make a difference by helping humanitarian organizations around the world that share our commitment to improving primary education.”
With eCares, Dubai Cares is challenging high school students to use their online research and information gathering skills to identify a unique charity working in the field of education that they personally feel Dubai Cares should support. Students are currently creating eCares web-based fundraising campaigns that outline the unique aspects of the chosen charity and illustrate why they feel this charity deserves funding for its cause. Dubai Cares will then evaluate all submissions and choose the top campaigns which will be displayed on the eCares website.
In Phase 2, Dubai Cares will allocate 1,000 ‘Virtual Dirhams’ to every high school student. Once the students register, they will be given an opportunity to spend these virtual funds on the eCares campaigns they feel best represent the type of organizations Dubai Cares should support. Once the virtual funding cycle is complete, Dubai Cares will review the eCares websites to see which best captured the spirit of the program and fund their chosen charities with actual Dirhams.
Dubai Cares’ Volunteer Campaign offers diverse volunteer opportunities to attract participation from all levels of the community, focusing on the benefits of volunteering in line with the charitable establishment’s continuous commitment to philanthropic values. Dubai Cares launched the Volunteer Emirates on 15 November which offers UAE residents the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with students, teachers and parents to beautify school playgrounds throughout the UAE.
Now considered the largest charitable establishment solely devoted to improving primary education globally, Dubai Cares is actively addressing the educational needs of more than 4 million children around the world through partnerships with international aid agencies.
Dubai Cares has prioritized its Phase One grants to 12 countries that experience the highest gap in primary education. Earlier this year, Dubai Cares listed the beneficiary countries – Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Maldives, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, and Yemen, and Palestinian refugees (in Lebanon and Jordan).
For more information on this year’s volunteer campaign, please visit www.dubaicares.ae