Dubai - MENA Herald: The students and faculty of GEMS Wellington Academy, Al Khail, (WEK) in cooperation with Dar Al Ber Society, have come together and raised AED 57,000 – as a part of a Ramadan charity campaign – to support the plight of Somali children and towards humanitarian aid.
The announcement came during an event held at GEMS Wellington Academy, Al Khail . Organised by the Arabic and Islamic department at school, the initiative, which was given the theme “Children of Somalia: We Feel… We Care”, is in line with the campaign launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, named “For Your Sake, Somalia”.
Colin Callaghan, CEO and Principal, GEMS Wellington Academy, said: “This is a fantastic initiative, which I am very happy to support. Sadly, we live in a world in which too many people are suffering due to a lack of food and water. Our donations will not solve the underlying problems, but they will help to save lives that would otherwise have been lost, and this means the efforts of all our children will have been very worthwhile.”
The school has chosen Somalia as a destination for donations this year since it is the most affected region of starvation according to the United Nations. The charity work comes as part of the 'Year of Giving' and the holy month of Ramadan initiatives taking place at the school.
Commenting on the occasion, Habiba Hamdan, Head of Arabic and Islamic Studies at GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail said: “Our campaign was addressed to both Muslim and non- Muslim students aiming at solidifying the spirit of this holy month and introducing its values to them, believing that the states of goodness have no boundaries.
“The outcome of the campaign was amazing, as our students were the leaders. They were highly responsible and aware of the importance of what they were doing,” added Habiba.
During the event, Magdi Naguib, Head of Customer Service at Dar Al Ber Society, described this initiative as unique, exceptional and in line with the vision of wise leadership in the UAE. He also praised efforts of all involved in organizing this charity event at GEMS Wellington Academy - Al Khail.
He said: “We look forward to promoting such kind of charitable campaigns in all public and private schools in the UAE and GEMS Wellington Academy- Al Khail will be the role model for all schools to follow when launching such humanitarian campaigns.”
The humanitarian situation in Somalia is rapidly deteriorating due to the severe drought that started in the north in 2016 and is now affecting most of the country.
