Dubai ladies take advocacy for girls' education to Senegal

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Delegates from Dubai are seen with children during their trip to Senegal. — Supplied photo
Delegates from Dubai are seen with children during their trip to Senegal. - Supplied photo

The project - anchored on the groups' advocacy for girls' education - will be implemented in collaboration with Dubai Cares in line with the Year of Zayed.

By Saman Haziq

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Published: Tue 27 Nov 2018, 7:00 PM

Last updated: Tue 27 Nov 2018, 9:55 PM

A delegation from the Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) and Dubai Ladies Club (DLC), along with a few high-end Emirati designers, had just returned from Senegal after laying the foundation stone of an elementary school, marking the first practical step towards implementing a comprehensive educational programme for girls in the country.
The project - anchored on the groups' advocacy for girls' education - will be implemented in collaboration with Dubai Cares in line with the Year of Zayed.
During the trip, which took place from November 18 to 23, the delegation headed by Lamia Abdulaziz Khan, director of the DLC, also participated in a number of educational and cultural exchange activities.
The project is among the ongoing humanitarian efforts of Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative, which was established in 2013 by Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, president of the UAE Gender Balance Council, president of DWE, president of the DLC, and wife of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
The educational programme in Senegal is the first of a series of programmes to be implemented in developing countries as part of the 'teacHER' campaign, launched by Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative in 2017.
It is primarily supported by 'Designs of Hope', an annual charitable exhibition organised by DLC. All proceeds from the exhibition in 2017 and 2018 were dedicated towards supporting educational programmes in Egypt, Nepal, Senegal, Ethiopia and Uganda.
A Senegalese welcome
Upon their arrival in Ngakhaye, the women's delegation was received with a warm and festive welcoming ceremony, during which locals gave their blessing to begin the school's construction.
Throughout the duration of their stay, the delegates experienced the daily lives of the villagers and immersed in the Senegalese culture as they share elements of the Emirati heritage as well.
Children unleashed their imagination and explored their creativity in arts-and-crafts workshops and were joined by other villagers and Dubai ladies in fitness activities. The delegates also mingled with local mothers, lent a hand in preparing traditional meals, and distributed gifts and school supplies to the children.
"I am proud of the Emirati designers who contributed to the 'Designs of Hope' charitable exhibition, as well as the representatives from DWE and DLC, for driving this campaign forward and carrying the values of indiscriminate hope, love and humanity beyond our nation's borders," Khan said.
Reflecting on her experience, designer Hind Al Mutawa said: "This experience has encouraged me to think about the true meaning of humanity. I have resolved to participate in more charitable and humanitarian efforts. I want to create a change in people's lives, because I now see that everything is possible as long as we dedicate ourselves to achieving the goals we set."
Another designer who was part of the delegation, Hind Al Falasi, said: "The most pronounced feeling I am experiencing is gratitude. Gratitude for the time I spent speaking to the locals, learning about their traditions and culture."
Delegate Fatima Al Hashimi said: "I am happy to have embarked on this trip during the Year of Zayed. Our visit to Senegal embodied the values that our founding father wanted to pass onto the generations that followed."
saman@khaleejtimes.com
 


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