Islam calls on Muslims to give to the needy throughout the year, but Ramadan is an opportunity to do so on a far greater scale. Time Out rounds up worthy causes around the UAE and beyond.
Zakat – the practice of charitable giving based on accumulated wealth, and one of the five pillars of Islam – is generally around 2.5 percent of your yearly savings, but Muslims of a truly generous spirit are known to set aside a great deal more to aid the needy. Aside from helping the poor, Zakat (meaning ‘that which purifies’) helps to purify the soul by getting rid of any greed or miserliness that you might be holding onto, and promotes empathy with those less fortunate.
Here in the UAE there are numerous charitable organisations, both private and government-backed, to which you can financially contribute throughout the year. And even if you don’t have much money to give, offering your time and assistance is also always much appreciated.
Adopt-A-Camp
Whether you can offer storage space for free, organise a grocery donation drive or use your skills and donate your time to help the group, organisers are always keen to hear from you.
www.adoptacamp.ae (055 862 2606).
Dubai Cares
Launched in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Cares aims to improve access to education for children in developing nations through schemes such as improvements to infrastructure, food programmes and medicinal support.
www.dubaicares.ae (04 450 4550).
Emirates Wildlife Society
The society offers great volunteering opportunities for those passionate about conservation. Help promote the sustainable fisheries’ ‘Choose Wisely’ programme by becoming one of the community representatives. In return, you’ll be given training, promotional goodies and a T-shirt.
www.facebook.com/ews.wwf.
Ewa’a Shelter For Women And Children
The shelter aims to protect victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in the country, providing them with the right assistance and care. The centre welcomes financial donations as well as skilled volunteers that can help care for victims. There’s also a hotline to report suspicions of trafficking (800 7283).
www.shwc.ae (02 558 4812).
Friends Of Cancer Patients
An organisation based in Sharjah, Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) provides support for sufferers of the disease and their families in the UAE, focusing on the provision of financial aid and the promotion of cancer awareness and prevention through screening and education.
www.focp.ae (06 506 5542).
Future Centre For Special Needs
This organisation is committed to helping children reach their potential through the use of stimulating education as well as rehabilitation.
www.future-centre.org (02 553 3506).
Gulf For Good
Gulf For Good organises adventure challenges in which Gulf residents and nationals can participate to raise funds for good causes. Regular challenges include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp, following the Inca Trail in Peru, cycling in Cambodia, kayaking and camel trekking.
www.gulf4good.org (04 368 0222).
Human Appeal International
This humanitarian charitable worldwide non-governmental organisation currently sponsors more than 30,000 children, providing them with education, healthcare and social care through their comprehensive programme.
www.hai.ae/en (06 747 1777 / 800 4599).
Médecins Sans Frontières
A private, non-profit organisation that provides assistance to any country that’s affected by catastrophic events such as armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters, especially when they overwhelm local health systems. MSF is involved in several projects in the Middle East including Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
www.msf-me.org (02 631 7645).
Operation Smile
Operation Smile UAE is a fundraising office which is engaging the community to raise funds and awareness of children born with cleft lip and/or cleft palate. The organisation works globally to provide free reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities.
www.operationsmile.org.ae (050 617 6746).
Mission To Seafarers
The organisation raises money to fund support boat The Flying Angel, which offers counselling and facilities to isolated seafarers off the coast of Fujairah. The seafarers are responsible for bringing most of the goods we use into the country. The Dubai chapter – Dubai Seafarers – is always looking for volunteers.
www.missiontoseafarers.org (04 357 6060).
Red Crescent Society
The UAE chapter, based in Abu Dhabi, is known to provide sponsorship for orphans, as well as medical and educational assistance and aid. Aside from helping with housing, health and education in countries including Palestine, Yemen, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, they also take up local projects such as construction and maintenance of houses, mosques and schools within the UAE.
rcuae.ae (02 6419000).
Riding For The Disabled
This programme uses interaction with horses as a therapy for students with special needs, promoting physical, cognitive and emotional development. The organisation is constantly in need of volunteers – without them, the children are unable to ride.
www.rdad.ae.
The Citizens’ Foundation
Promotes mass-scale quality education at primary and secondary levels in Pakistan, and is currently helping more than 40,000 children get the schooling they need.
www.thecitizensfoundation.org (04 368 1096).
The Dhaka Project
The charity raises money to help slum children and their families in Bangladesh, with funds used to teach life skills to adults, while giving their children an education. Just US$20 provides vaccinations for hepatitis B and typhoid for a child, as well as health cover for a year. It was founded by Maria Conceicao, who has now gone on to establish the Maria Christina Foundation, which is dedicated to projects that will change the destinies of children.
www.thedhakaproject.org, www.mariachristinafoundation.org.
The Little Wings Foundation
An independent non-profit organisation dedicated to providing medical help to kids with musculoskeletal deformities in the Middle East and North Africa. Funding is essential to ensure the group can keep helping children.
www.thelittlewingsfoundation.org (050 281 2443).
The Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable And Humanitarian Foundation
Provides humanitarian relief to areas that have suffered natural disasters, and funds the restoration and building of mosques all over the world.
www.zayedchf.com/english (02 681 4700).
Tukutana Foundation
A non-profit organisation that provides essential resources and holistic development opportunities for orphans, vulnerable children and the people and communities that care for them in East Africa.
www.tukutana.org.
Dubai Cares
With a nod to the altruistic aspect of Ramadan, we speak to Tariq Al Gurg, CEO of Dubai Cares, to learn more about the philanthropic organisation and ways to get involved
What is Dubai Cares and who is behind the organisation?
Dubai Cares is a philanthropic organisation working to improve children’s access to quality primary education in developing countries. Launched in September 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the organisation is led by a board of directors composed of nine members and its Chairperson, Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State.
What is the vision of Dubai Cares?
Dubai Cares’ vision is to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring all children have access to quality primary education. Education is the most effective tool to break the cycle of poverty, a belief held by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and it was with this belief and the desire to give children – regardless of their nationality, creed or
religion – the opportunity to become positive contributors to society, that His Highness launched Dubai Cares.
What countries and projects is Dubai Cares involved with?
Dubai Cares currently reaches more than eight million children in 31 developing countries. These include Bangladesh Pakistan, Nepal and Indonesia in Asia and Angola, Mali, Mauritania and Ethiopia in Africa, to name a few. In the region, Dubai Cares has programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and has also worked with Palestinian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Recently, Dubai Cares also launched a new three-year integrated Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) pilot programme in Ethiopia, which is being implemented in 30 schools to address the health and nutrition needs of approximately 30,700 primary school-age children in the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). The Dhs14.7 million Dubai Cares-funded programme aims to enhance primary school enrolment rates, reduce absenteeism and improve the cognitive learning abilities of the children.
In what ways can people get involved and contribute?
We recognise the potential of communities in the UAE to affect positive change around the world, and view local communities as important partners in our mission to improve access to quality primary education for millions of children.
For the Ramadan campaign this year, Dubai Cares has established a number of donation channels through which the UAE community can contribute:
• Donors can text the word ‘donation’ to 9030 to donate Dhs30 and to 9090 to donate Dhs90
• Online donations can be made through our website, www.dubaicares.ae/en/donation
• Direct financial donations can be made with a cheque addressed to Dubai Cares
In order to increase community involvement around the year, Dubai Cares also engages with UAE residents through a series of volunteer, awareness and fundraising initiatives. In 2008, we launched our ‘Volunteer Emirates’ initiative, which is part of a series of local initiatives by Dubai Cares that offer UAE residents opportunities to give back to communities here at home by renovating and enriching the educational environment for the students in non-profit schools. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have participated in our initiative and have contributed to enriching the learning environment for thousands of children in the UAE.
Another key local community engagement initiative for Dubai Cares is the ‘Walk for Education’, which also has an extremely important volunteering element. This annual walk aims to raise awareness among the participants and the community about the issues concerning children’s access to primary education globally. It symbolises the hardships that children in developing countries endure on a daily basis, by walking an average of 3km in order to go to school.
It appears philanthropy is inherent to Islamic culture, particularly during Ramadan. Is this something you have experienced? and have you found it also inspires non-Muslims?
The UAE has always had a very active approach in philanthropy and this focus has been set by the leadership of the UAE, which has inspired the community to do their bit for the underprivileged. This emphasis on philanthropy transcends the multicultural community of the UAE and we at Dubai Cares owe our success to the overwhelming support of the community as a whole.
The spirit of philanthropy during Ramadan is a universal one and I have personally witnessed this over the years with the UAE community coming together to help the less fortunate. The spirit of giving prevalent is truly inspiring and it has definitely made an impression on the non-Muslim community as well, from my experience.
During Ramadan this year, we will have an ongoing campaign titled, ‘End Poverty. Educate Now’, which is in line with UN MDG 1 of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the challenges that children face in accessing quality primary education.
For more information or to volunteer, visit www.dubaicares.ae.
