THE One donates furniture worth over Dhs20,000 to DFWAC

Established in July 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DFWAC is the first licensed non-profit shelter in the UAE for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, child abuse and trafficking.

When THE One heard that DFWAC needed some furniture for their newly refurbished housing facilities, the 'magical and meaningful' home fashion brand jumped at the opportunity to help out. Despite the rain, spirits remained high as THE 'Onederworkers' offloaded various pieces of furniture on 13 January at the shelter, where a jubilant Maya Garcia Lahham, Resource Development Officer for DFWAC, was on hand to receive the goods.

Afra Al Basti, CEO of DFWAC, thanked THE One for its generosity, adding: "Our aim at the foundation is to empower families and support society by protecting physically, sexually and emotionally abused women and children. With THE One's donation, we will be able to provide a comfortable and relaxing home-like environment for our residents."

DFWAC depends on contributions from the community to help it prevent ongoing abuse and the escalation of violence through promoting social awareness and education. Regardless of race, class, ethnicity, religion or legal status, it provides free emergency shelter, case management, medical care, counselling, legal assistance, consular and visa support, psychological assessment and referral. In addition to these core services, DFWAC also provides secondary support services including children's education, recreational activities, physical fitness, female empowerment and skills training.

The fact that the beds, mattresses, cabinets, lamps, curtains and sofa THE One donated will help brighten up the lives of these women and children, just goes to show that it is possible to change the world together One small act at a time.