About the Cause
Dubai Cares’ programs are designed to reduce, if not remove, the greatest obstacles that prevent children and young people in developing countries from attaining quality education. With each intervention, Dubai Cares evaluates the need for assistance across two key areas:
Access to Education which allows Dubai Cares to improve children’s health and learning environment, increase education enrollment and attainment, increase access to education, reduce absenteeism, increase gender parity and increase promotion rates.
Quality of Education which enables early learning, enhances educational attainment and school progression, improves literacy and numeracy skills among children, enables teachers to access teacher training resulting in better learning outcomes, reduce dropout rates and increase primary school attainment.
Dubai Cares is a long-term advocate of safeguarding children and young people’s right to education and is currently playing a global advocacy role in spreading the knowledge about the importance of providing education to the unprivileged children.
We also champion education through research - There is an overwhelming lack of evidence as to what works to promote children’s learning in crisis-affected contexts. Research plays a pivotal role in tackling this issue.
My Story
My colleague Girmay, who is originally from Tigray, Ethiopia, drew my attention to the urgent situation at an orphanage in Mekelle. Together, Aid Pioneers´team visited the center in December 2024 and witnessed firsthand the hardship the children are facing. Many have lost their parents due to the war, and some are living with HIV or other serious health challenges. Others struggle with disabilities such as epilepsy or Down syndrome. What struck me most was not only their loss, but also the lack of the most basic necessities. The children have no reliable electricity. This means there is no proper lighting at night, which puts them at risk and limits their ability to study. There are no safety measures to protect them from intruders. Most critically, there is no way to cool essential medicine for HIV-positive children and those with other conditions. I want to do everything I can to make their lives easier and give them the chance to grow up with dignity, safety, and hope. Installing a solar power system at the orphanage will be a decisive step. It will ensure reliable electricity for cooling medicine, providing light and security, and enabling better education. This project is deeply personal to me and the rest of the team because we have seen the children’s resilience and courage despite all they have endured. With your support, we can give them not just power, but also a brighter and healthier future.