Set up by the Abu Dhabi Government on April 12, 2005, under the initiative of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Emirates Foundation has a strong track record of improving living conditions for many people in the UAE. In 2012, the foundation changed its name, as well as its vision and mission to concentrate specifically on helping the youth of the Emirates.
Now called the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, they are focused on reaching out to the nation’s younger generations, and helping them reach their full academic and professional potential.
As an independent, philanthropic organisation, Emirates Foundation works by coordinating between public and private sectors for the benefit of those in need and, in particular, young people struggling under difficult circumstances with physical disabilities or financial burdens. With a wide scope and different departments, the Emirates Foundation has numerous opportunities for anyone looking to volunteer or help out in the community.
The world views the UAE as a wealthy country, but there are still some families who struggle financially. With a new approach called venture philanthropy, the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development is moving away from the traditional short-term solution of providing funds and looking at more long-term changes that can eradicate need in different sectors. The idea is to look at youth as a business venture. The more you invest in them, the more rewards you will reap in the future.
In order to achieve this, they will focus on developing the leadership and social skills of the youth, as well as instilling a strong sense of volunteerism. With all this, and an emphasis on educational programmes, the organisation can pave the way for eradicating common hurdles facing the youth today, such as a lack of financial means.
The organisation serves as an umbrella for several functioning arms, such as Takatof, Sanid, Think Science, Financial Literacy, Ittijah Venture, as well as other programmes geared at helping those less fortunate. This is where the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development step in and lend a helping hand. For example, in 2007 Takatof volunteers, noted for travelling around the UAE and helping out with various tasks, visited a school in the town of Qidfa in the emirate of Fujairah, and renovated a school over one weekend.
Other initiatives include the Safe Driving campaign, launched this September and lasting for a whole month. Running in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, the Western region and Al Ain, Takatof representatives and volunteers visited various schools and different facilities informing young drivers about basic safety precautions while on the road.
As well as promoting educational and sustainability programmes for young people, the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development also works with a variety of cases such as physically or mentally impaired children and cases of abuse.
Funding is provided by the government and supplemented through private donations and the organisation is now focused on tackling ways to provide sustainable solutions for the health, education and financial instability faced in the emirate and the rest of the country.
Commenting on the venture philanthropy initiative, Her Excellency Khuloud Al Nowais, chief sustainability officer at Emirates Foundation for Youth Development says, ‘Venture philanthropy recognises there are no quick-fixes for creating tangible, developmental results. Instead of giving money on a short-term reactive basis it looks at investing in programmes and initiatives that earn social returns. This increases the measurable impact and opens the way for foundations like ours to play an even greater role in advancing the nation’s socio-economic progress.’
Such drastic changes in policy indicate the foundation’s focus on creating long-term solutions for the disadvantaged in society, as well as providing a solid platform for the youth to flourish.
If you are interested in learning more about the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, visit www.emiratesfoundation.ae (02 404 2994).
