150,000 children in Niger benefit from Dubai Cares and UNICEF Education Project
Program will focus on reducing gender disparity
DUBAI (July 16, 2008) – Dubai Cares, a charitable organization that aims to provide primary education to one million children in developing countries, today provided UNICEF with nearly 1.2 million dollars to fund educational programs in Niger.
The Niger initiative follows Dubai Cares' previous partnerships with UNICEF in Djibouti, Sudan and Yemen and will eventually help fund education programs in 12 countries.
The Dubai Cares donation will benefit approximately 150,000 school children along with primary school teachers, parent teacher associations, school management committees, education civil servants and NGO programs.
Basic school kits will be supplied to children as part of the initiative, which will help increase the number of children enrolled in 600 schools around the country. In addition, the program will also provide classroom furniture for 200 schools and building materials to construct 50 emergency learning centers.
Increasing rural school enrolment rates along with improving sanitation facilities in 200 schools and increasing the attendance rate of girls are the other key components of the program.
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Chairperson of Dubai Cares Board of Directors, said: "Almost 50 percent of Niger's villages do not have functional primary schools, with very few pre-schools or kindergarten centers to support child survival or readiness towards education. Our project will focus on increasing educational opportunities for children, especially girls, in the most remote and marginalized communities."
According to 2006 data, Niger has one of the poorest education indicators in the world, with a female literacy rate of only 14.8 percent. The education system faces enormous challenges in terms of access and quality with limited government funding for education.
"In light of the current needs, which are enormous in the education sector in Niger—and noting the efforts and commitment of the Government to both increase access to and the quality of education in the country—significant contributions from donors such as Dubai Cares are crucial towards making further major steps forward to ensure that all children receive a quality education in Niger. UNICEF therefore wishes to thank Dubai Cares for their invaluable support," said Akhil Lyer, UNICEF Representative in Niger.
Dubai Cares will also support UNICEF in offering basic training to nearly 1,000 newly recruited teachers along with training in subjects related to community development such as hygiene, nutrition and sanitation.
Dubai Cares has prioritized 12 countries that experience the highest gap in primary education, which include Bangladesh, Bosnia, Chad, Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Maldives, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, Occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan and Yemen; and Palestinian refugee communities in Lebanon and Jordan.
About UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading international children's organization, working in over 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicefusa.org.
About Dubai Cares
Launched in September 2007, Dubai Cares has evolved into the world's largest charitable establishment, solely devoted to improving primary education around the world. As a contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing primary education to every child by 2015, the initiative validates the emirate's commitment to play an effective role in securing a better tomorrow for future generations.
For more information, contact:
Richard Alleyne, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.880.9177
