Dubai Cares donors raise Dh1m for Pakistan school

Dubai Cares exhibition

Donors have raised Dh1 million for a primary school in Pakistan during a Dubai art exhibition on Tuesday night.

The exhibition and gala dinner, organised by Dubai Cares and Pakistan’s The Citizens Foundation (TCF), was held at the Conrad Dubai hotel.

The fundraiser, titled Art for Education, featured an auction of works by artists from Pakistan and the UAE. The auction was conducted by William Lawrie, and a silent auction was also held earlier on Tuesday.

The proceeds will go towards establishing a TCF Primary School — Dubai Cares Campus in Pakistan.

Dubai Cares is a UAE-based philanthropic organisation that was launched in 2007 by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to improve children’s access to primary education in developing countries.

According to UN figures, about 5.7 million children around the world don’t go to school.

“Tonight, the future of many Pakistanis depends on your generosity. Education has a ripple effect in solving problems, breaking the cycle of poverty,” Amal Al Redha, fundraising specialist at Dubai Cares, said during the event.

The event attracted over 600 guests including art enthusiasts, philanthropists and corporate sponsors.

TCF Chairman Mushtaq Chapra described the occasion as “a chance to change lives. Tonight, it’s Pakistan, but the problems are the same all over the world. It’s the same children selling things on the streets when they should be in school.”

An ex-student of a TCF school, Nadeem Hussain, shared his experience with guests. Hussain, whose family had never been to school, used to earn $1.50 for working 12 hours at night. He would then have an hour to prepare for school.

Hussain added that his TCF education eventually equipped him to succeed — he now makes $2 an hour as a research assistant for a doctorate candidate. Hussain was also selected to attend programmes at leading US universities such as Harvard, MIT and University of Virginia.

TCF is a non-profit organisation focusing on “providing quality education to the less privileged in Pakistan who would have otherwise been denied their basic right to education.”

Chapra said in a statement: “I would like to thank [Dubai Cares CEO] Tariq Al Gurg and the sponsors, donors and supporters of Art for Education for making this function a great success.”

Dubai Cares CEO Tariq Al Gurg added: “I would like to thank each and every donor for their generosity and support. This is a very special project for us and we are proud to partner with TCF in providing a safe, secure and motivating learning environment for the children of Pakistan.”