A group of volunteers from the UAE are celebrating the success of their Eid volunteer mission in Zanzibar.
The Fathers And Kids Camping group normally spends weekends exploring the UAE's deserts, but over the Eid break they travelled to the small fishing village of Kizimkazi to expand the 'Seeds of Light' school.
More than 60 adults and children teamed up with 50 people in Zanzibar to build five classrooms, bathrooms and a playground, and install a solar power system.
Our kids get to switch off from technology, enjoy some good exercise, all while having a positive impact on the communities they're visiting
The project was funded by people and businesses in the UAE. They donated more than Dh500,000 ($136,000) to the Tanzanian charity CR Hope Foundation, which runs the school.
"We nearly achieved everything we wanted," said organiser Vahid Fotuhi, 45, who is also the founder of the Middle East Solar Industry Association.
"We are all bruised and exhausted, but so proud of what we achieved. The five classrooms are 80 per cent complete, and the castle playground is finished, and larger than most homes in the area.
"We also completed the solar PV system, making Seeds of Light the first school in Zanzibar to have 24-hour power access."
Over five days, the group laid 5,000 bricks, each weighing 20kg, with adults and children working alongside the local Maasai tribesmen.
Twenty-eight children, aged three to 16, were involved in the project, Mr Fotuhi said.
"Working side by side, we got to learn a lot about the Maasai way of life and their customs.
"The kids were especially excited about their weapons. They carried a seme, a short sword with a double-edged blade used for clearing brush, cutting meat and peeling fruit.
"They also sported a rungu, which is a wooden club used for hunting and defending against lions."
A general contractor will install the doors, windows and ceiling over the next eight weeks to complete the build.
The largest climbing frame in Zanzibar
The crowning glory was the climbing frame, which was designed by Nina and Kai Schakat, the co-founders of The Rock Shack Dubai, who took part in the project with their two children.
"Every child deserves a playground and unfortunately, the Seeds of Light school lacked this vital ingredient," said Mr Fotuhi, who grew up in Canada and has lived in the UAE since 2007.
"They asked us if we could help and we jumped at the opportunity.
"In true Dubai fashion, we decided to build the biggest playground in all of Zanzibar."
The two-storey castle includes a slide, see-saw, swing, suspension bridge, climbing wall, monkey bars, ramp with pull-up rope and climbing net, and will be used every weekday by the school's 120 pupils.
The newly installed solar power system, complete with battery storage, will enable the school to operate a computer lab and offer night-time literacy classes to parents and children.
Pupils and teachers will also not have to worry about power outages, which happen regularly in Africa.
The next adventure
The Zanzibar trip was the Father And Kids Camping group's fifth philanthropic project in as many years.
Their first international trip took them to Zambia, when 18 families worked with charity Mothers Without Borders to add four classrooms and a solar-powered computer lab to Carol Zulu Primary School.
They have also helped provide clean drinking water to a community in eastern Kenya and volunteered with Classic Catering and the UAE Food Bank to deliver 30,000 warm meals to blue-collar workers in Dubai who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
The aim of each outreach project is two-fold, explained Mr Fotuhi.
"As parents, all we want for our children is to be happy and to have a positive impact. These overseas expeditions achieve both targets," he said.
"Our kids get to switch off from technology, enjoy some good exercise, all while having a positive impact on the communities they're visiting."
A trip to Uganda is next on the list, but the projects are now getting so popular Mr Fotuhi is considering setting up a dedicated platform to organise more of them each year.
"This way, more UAE families and host communities would be able to benefit from our unique formula of impact travel," he said.
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
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Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
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1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
SQUADS
Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed
Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
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The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
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2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
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7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
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Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
