A foundation that provides education to unprivileged children has received $1 million (Dh3.67m) from the Ruler of Sharjah.
The Malaysian foundation Dignity for Children will benefit from the donation, in addition to a cash prize of Dh500,000 for being named the winner of the second Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy and Support.
Dignity for Children received the honour during an award ceremony on Thursday. The donation was given to the foundation to help their on-going efforts to offer educational and support services to the marginalised and displaced communities in Asia and the Mena region.
Elisha Satvinder, co-founder of the foundation, said: “I and my wife, Petrina, started to work with refugees around 20 years ago. We never imagined standing here. This is an amazing honour. Our work started with Mohammed Yasser, from the Rohingya. He was a 12-year-old boy who could not read or write.”
“We were the first people to teach him how to write his name.
"Teaching Yasser how to write was the first step to help him break out of the cycle of poverty. He went back home and wrote his name all over the wooden walls of his house. Also, he started writing his name on the walls of public places. It was easy to find out who he was as his name was everywhere,” Mr Satvinder.
“The next day, he decided to bring two of his friends and soon afterwards we had a class full of refugee students,” he added.
Mr Satvinder said that they managed to educate 7,000 children. Currently, many of them are living all over the world.
“One of our students, Shaheen, settled in California in the United States. She just completed her internship with Microsoft,” said Mr Satvinder.
Mr Satvinder thanked Sheikh Sultan, Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation and UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Refugees.
“Working with refugees is rewarding in many ways. It also has its difficulties,” said Mr Satvinder.
“Every child has the right to an education. For our foundation, it’s about providing a world class education for the underprivileged,” he added.
“Our work is behind the scene. Winning this award is significant for all those people who work tirelessly day and night with all these children.”
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “Many people are doing heroic work in Asia and North Africa, but they are not well-known. This award contributes in appreciating them and for the world to know them and for their examples to be followed by others.”
Mr Grandi thanked Sheikh Sultan and Sheikha Jawaher.
“Through Sheikha Jawaher's work and humanitarian initiatives supported by the Ruler of Sharjah, more than 800,000 people over the years have been supported,” said Mr Grandi.
“Those types of initiatives and awards are important at a time when the worldly population of refugees and forcibly displaced people has reached roughly 70 million. They have been forced to leave their homes as a result of conflict and war. Those people are obliged to do one of the most difficult choices and leave behind everything they love. Yet, many people have to make this choice.”
Sheikha Jawaher said: “Illuminating the path of others is a human duty and an ethical imperative. Without this effort, life will not have any meaning. The award helps bring these human torches, who work for a better present and a brighter future, before the eyes of the world. The award highlights the stories of individuals who have suffered the conditions of forced migration, and celebrates the relentless efforts of those individuals and organisations who lead them towards happy and safe lives.”
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's