Dubai Cares completes fourth edition of Volunteer Emirates 2016

Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has successfully completed the fourth edition of its Volunteer Emirates 2016 initiative which took place on Saturday at Al Salaf Al Saleh Private School in Ras Al Khaimah in partnership with RAKBANK. The highly popular initiative, which lends helping hands to non-profit schools across the UAE, saw the participation of 100 volunteers from the UAE who came together to help enrich the school's learning environment by providing equipment and school furniture as well as improving the learning conditions for more than 560 students.

Commenting on this latest edition of Volunteer Emirates, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, said: "The selfless spirit of giving is extremely strong in the UAE and the people who devote their time for our volunteering initiatives, whether locally or abroad, are genuinely passionate about helping others. This edition has been made possible because of the generous support of RAK Bank. I thank them for believing in our cause and supporting us in our mission. Together we are eagerly look forward to seeing the children arrive to school on Sunday to witness the exciting improvements we, including Dubai Cares’ volunteers, have made possible today."

As part of this initiative, 100 volunteers took part in various activities which included drawing educational murals, building a stage for the school’s theatre and equipping it with chairs, providing student desks and chairs for the classrooms and installing safety wrapping around columns in the playground. Furthermore, the volunteers helped equip the canteen with tables and chairs and installed soft flooring and toys in the playground. Sports and laboratory equipment were also provided as part of this edition.

"With a firm commitment to community support, we are delighted to partner with Dubai Cares once more," said Peter England, CEO at RAKBANK, "Initiatives like these are in line with our social responsibility objectives, enabling us to give back to our community. The 4th edition of the Volunteer Emirates 2016 aims to provide students with the right tools to succeed in their education."

Haroush Moussa Ahmed Al Rawi, Principal of Al Salaf Al Saleh Private School in Ras Al Khaimah, said: "We are grateful for Dubai Cares’ leading role in supporting the UAE non-profit education sector. This Volunteer Emirates initiative taking place in our school today will provide our students an inspiring educational environment that will help them learn and prosper.

Rana Awad, Marketing Engagement Manager at Dubai Cares, said: "The school that has been selected for this final edition is a worthy beneficiary. A lot of effort is put in the selection process of schools to ensure that the most deserving of non-profit schools are given priority to receive the support of Dubai Cares and its volunteers."