'Fashion for Charity' event raises funds for special care centre

The fashion show was held on Thursday 5 June at the Academy in Abu Dhabi, with all proceeds from the event going directly to the charity.

Sorouh Real Estate PJSC, the leading Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer, acted as the Gold Sponsor for the event.

The designers who exhibited at the show were Emirati nationals, aged fifteen to seventeen, who have a strong interest in the fashion industry and have embraced the opportunity to be a part of it.

The students were first introduced to the Special Care Centre during Abu Dhabi Fashion Week when the garments from the 'Zayed Academy' collection were auctioned on the last night of the event.

Proceeds were donated to the Special Care Centre -Dhs139,000 was raised from the auction.

The Grade 11 Fashion class later went on a field trip to the Special Care Centre and experienced first-hand the organization which they helped. Meeting the children and seeing the importance of the care centre has greatly moved and motivated the students to extend a helping hand.

For their final Fashion Industry project the students are organizing the 'Fashion for Charity' event - they are learning, gaining experience and helping members of the community at the same time.

Masood Al Awar, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Sorouh, said: 'As part of our unwavering support to the community in general and the youth in particular, Sorouh is proud to be the Golden Sponsor of the Show.

'Sorouh's role in the community goes beyond developing real estate projects and is effectively embodied in its support of various sports, cultural, educational, and other activities, which reflects the profound vision of both HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan - President of the United Arab Emirates, and HH General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan - Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.'

Georgia Kostakis, Teacher of Arts and ICT at Sheikh Zayed Private Academy added: 'Extremely important in the education of our youth is community involvement, and we thank Sorouh for their interest and support. Working on real-world projects increases motivation, productivity, and learning overall. Students understand that they are a part of the community and that their contributions are important.

'With the support of Sorouh, the girls have been able to move forward with their Fashion for Charity project. They have been encouraged to channel their energy and interests towards helping others. Sorouh sets the example of what it means to be a contributing member of our community, and models the way for our youth to follow.'

Located in Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Private Academy provides students with an international education based on an American curriculum.

The Academy strives to develop open mindedness through the provision of opportunities for learning about the world and its people.

By challenging students to become socially, culturally and environmentally aware, the Academy enables them to make a difference in the UAE and the global community.

The Special Care Center of the Good Heart Foundation is a self-funded, non profit organization that relies heavily on volunteers and donations.

It was originally inaugurated under the Patronage of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in 1989.

For the past 18 years, the Special Care Centre has successfully run an educational facility for students with special needs in Abu Dhabi.

The Centre's current facilities are operating at full capacity and there is a long and growing waiting list of children with special needs wishing to enroll.

It currently has 66 students from 14 different nationalities and 68 children on the waiting list.

The school provides discounted fees to many of their students giving children from underprivileged families the opportunity of an education.

Inspired by the spectacular growth of Abu Dhabi and determined to provide the best care and education to many more students, the Special Care Centre is launching the Donate A Brick Campaign to raise funds (Dhs25m) to build a state of the art school for children with special needs in Abu Dhabi. The concept is to establish a school that has been built by the community for the community.

This endeavour brings individuals, schools, the corporate and government sectors, and all stakeholders together.