Dubai Cares launches Volunteer Campaign

Offering diverse volunteer opportunities to attract participation from all levels of the community, this year's campaign focuses on the benefits of volunteering in line with the charitable establishment's continuous commitment to philanthropic values.

The announcement was made at the Al Maktoum School for Boys where His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum joined an intimate gathering of Dubai's students and invited guests who enjoyed a special viewing of a Dubai Cares video documentary on volunteerism. The documentary was followed by a speech delivered by Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares Board of Directors.

Her Excellency Al Hashimy addressed His Highness, thanking him for the initiative and for his influence in instilling the values of good deeds and the spirit of volunteerism in the UAE. Her Excellency also praised the vision of His Highness, thanking him for providing Dubai Cares the direction and inspiration to meet and exceed its initial goal of helping educate 1 million children in the developing world. To date, Dubai Cares has reached over 4 million children, is actively building and renovating 2,072 schools and has trained 22,370 teachers and helped establish 3,157 Parent-Teacher associations.

Her Excellency said:

"Dubai Cares calls upon all individuals and sectors of the UAE to participate in this year's campaign through which we - both individually and collectively - can achieve a sense of fulfilment only attained by reaching out to those in need. This is what we have learned from His Highness, who continues to give his time and effort to serve the nation, making him an ideal both as a visionary leader and global philanthropist."

Dubai Cares invites children and adults to join the Volunteer Emirates program, which provides residents an opportunity to volunteer at schools throughout the UAE; the Volunteer Globally program, providing 10 education-based volunteer experiences in Cambodia; the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar; and the Yemeni island of Socotra; the Volunteer Virtually program, offering individuals and companies the opportunity to share their time and expertise to support local and international NGO's electronically via the Internet; and, eCares, a web-based community fundraising experience that will give high school students an opportunity to play the role of a fund raiser as well as a donor to charities that support children's primary education.

In launching the Million Book Challenge, the first initiative of the campaign, His Highness called on emirate-based school students from the ages of 3-14 years to collectively read 1,000,000 books in two weeks. For each book read, Dubai Cares will purchase a book and donate it to children in need. The distribution of books will be managed by the global organization Room to Read. And, for books in the Arab world, Arab NGO's.

At the end of the launch event, His Highness praised the Dubai Cares campaign and encouraged children to read and acquire knowledge that will benefit them in establishing a prosperous future.

The ceremony was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Events Management Corporation, and other senior officials.

Beyond encouraging students to extend a helping hand, Dubai Cares also offers residents and visitors in the UAE an opportunity to strengthen literacy in developing countries by sponsoring a book for AED10 each through the Dubai Cares website or at participating book stores. The books will be donated to children around the world who do not currently have access to books.

This year's campaign builds on an impressive list of achievements made by Dubai Cares since its launch in September 2007.

Dubai Cares is now considered the largest charitable establishment, solely devoted to improving primary education around the world. Through partnerships with international aid agencies, Dubai Cares is actively addressing the educational needs of more than 4 million children around the world.

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).