'Dubai Cares' Ambassador HH Sheikha Manal Bint Mohammed donates Dhs1m to educate girls in Yemen

Her trip is one in a series for the 'Dubai Cares' campaign, a charity drive held during the Holy Month of Ramadan to help educate one million children in poor countries. The trip also served as an opportunity for Sheikha Manal to donate Dhs1m to fund for girls' education projects in Yemen led by UNICEF.

'Dubai Cares' was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who assigned roles for his sons and daughters to play throughout the campaign.

Sheikha Manal was received at the airport by Ammah Al Razaq Ali Hamad, Minister of Social Works, Fawziya Na'aman, Deputy Minister of Education, the country's Deputy Minister of Health and a UNICEF delegation from the Yemen office. Her Excellency Balqees Ali Abdullah Saleh, Head of Al Saleh Establishment for Development, welcomed Sheikha Manal, and praised HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's initiative to support education in low-income countries.

Sheikha Manal: 'His Highness' vision focuses on education which he sees as the best long-term solution to poverty, giving the poor the means and tools to overcome obstacles. Education was an important component in the growth of the UAE not only in economics but in other fields as well.'

Her Highness lead a delegation of UAE women to tour Arwa High School to see first-hand the situation on the ground in terms of children's primary education and determine how 'Dubai Cares' can help. HH focused on helping girls obtain access to education in the poor country, in line with HH's emphasis on the plight of girls and in response to expert calls world-wide on the importance of educating girls and women in ending the cycle of poverty.

Na'aman had the opportunity to present to Sheikha Manal facts and figures on the state of education in Yemen, highlighting the low proportion of educated girls in the country. In her discussion with HH, Na'aman also addressed the lack of awareness among parents on the importance of education, which will be key to reversing if educating children is to have a durable impact in the country. Na'aman also spoke about government strategies to promote education, including the waiving of school fees and providing subsidies to needy families. The lack of qualified teachers and schools in the suburbs was also an issue of discussion with HH.

The UNICEF delegation also had an opportunity to present its position and its role in providing primary education and educating girls, particularly, in Yemen. They also discussed strategies to help increase the number of classes in order to promote growth and development.

The UAE delegation included H.E. Maryam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs; Najla Al Awar, Secretary General of the Cabinet; Mona Al Marri, the Chair of Dubai Women's Establishment; Ezza Al Sherhan, Director of ENDP; Ouhoud Al Roumi, Managing Director of the Prime Minister's Office; Kawthar Kazem; and, Federal National Council members Fatima Al Marri, Najla Al Awadhi and Maysa'a Rashed Ghadayyar.

'Dubai Cares' joins a list of international initiatives launched in Dubai that express Dubai's will to play an effective role contributing to achieving the world's mission to secure a better tomorrow for future generations. The campaign is Dubai's contribution to a global drive to assist countries in achieving their U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing Children's Primary Education to every child by 2015.