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Mothers’ Endowment: UAE charity campaign raises $404m in Ramadan

Sheikh Mohammed’s Mothers’ Endowment campaign passes fundraising target in first three weeks of Ramadan

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

The UAE’s Mothers’ Endowment fundraising campaign has raised more than $400m in just three weeks.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced that the Mothers’ Endowment campaign, which he launched on March 4 to honour mothers by establishing a AED1bn ($272mm) endowment fund that aims to support the education and training of millions of individuals around the world, has successfully exceeded its target within less than a month of its launch, affirming that the campaign will continue to welcome contributions throughout the year.

Contributions to the Mothers’ Endowment campaign amounted to AED1.484bn ($404m) before the end of Ramadan.

Mothers’ Endowment campaign in the UAE

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: “As the blessed month of Ramadan draws to a close, we are excited to conclude a campaign that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants to honor mothers.

“The Mothers’ Endowment which raised over AED 1.4bn during Ramadan is a permanent education fund and an ongoing charity in the name of UAE mothers, may God bless our efforts.

“Our mothers will remain our paradise, and our ticket to paradise. Nothing repays our debt to them so we will continue to celebrate them.

“The Mothers’ Endowment campaign’s success in exceeding its target in record time is testament that generosity is testament to the benevolent, generous nature of the UAE people and to their deeply rooted principles.

“The Emirati community has presented a bright example of giving and solidarity that are integral to the UAE’s value system and identity.

“The UAE will not waver in its mission to serve humanity and help communities rise up and improve through projects and campaigns that go far beyond temporary aid and focus instead on sustainable and constructive empowerment.

“Any initiative that has the mother and her selflessness at its core is a blessed initiative that will reap doubled rewards.

“The Mothers’ Endowment is an ongoing charity in honour of our mothers, and it will continue to welcome contributions to ensure greater benefits”.

The Mothers’ Endowment campaign has received a community wide response as thousands raced to contribute to its aims of supporting underprivileged individuals through enhanced education and training, allowing them to improve their quality of life sustainably, prepare for the job market and ultimately drive stability and development in their communities.

Coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan, the campaign exceeded its targets within less than three weeks as contributions flowed in via its main channels, including the campaign’s website, dedicated call centre, bank transfers, du and etisalat by e& SMS, as well as via the DubaiNow app and the community contributions platform Jood.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) said: “Reflecting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, providing the best conditions for sustainable education will always be at the forefront of our priorities, in line with his directives for fulfilling this noble mission and mobilizing efforts to advance education as the decisive factor in building communities that are more stable and prosperous.

“The Mothers’ Endowment campaign is a driving force that aims to support and prepare millions of youth across underserved communities through education and training that will leave its mark in their lives.

“The campaign has received generous contributions and announced key agreements with major contributors to launch innovative endowment projects”.

Among major contributors to the campaign, Azizi Developments announced a contribution of AED600m ($163m) for the establishment of an endowment education complex, marking one of the largest charity contributions in the UAE.

Sobha Realty Group also contributed AED400m ($109m) to establish an endowment university as part of the Mothers’ Endowment campaign, while West Zone Group contributed AED130m ($35m) to develop an endowment building that will dedicate its proceeds to supporting MBRGI’s initiatives relating to spreading knowledge and education around the world.

A number of accompanying events helped support the Mothers’ Endowment campaign reach its target in record time, including the Most Noble Number charity auctions held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, raising a total of AED116,479,400 ($32m) with support from Abu Dhabi Police, Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA), etisalat by e& and du.

The Most Noble Number charity auction in Dubai raised AED38.095m ($10.4m) from auction RTA plate numbers, etisalat by e& and du special mobile numbers.

The 3rd Most Noble Number online charity auction, organised by Abu Dhabi Police, raised AED78,384,400 (21.3m) from auctioning 555 special plate numbers.

The campaign was also accompanied by an innovative initiative to recognise major contributors, who were celebrated by the Dubai International Financial Centre by displaying their contributions on the façade of its main building, The Gate.

The Mothers’ Endowment campaign issued more than 230,000 participation certificates through its website, in the names of contributors’ mothers as a gesture of appreciation of their sacrifices and generosity towards their children.

The certificate marks the contribution made in the mother’s name as an ongoing charity contributing to the establishment of the education endowment fund.

With proceeds going towards the education of millions around the world, providing them with the tools and skills necessary to lead independent lives, the Mothers’ Endowment campaign aims to revive the culture of endowment as a development tool, while at the same time, it promotes the values of honouring parents, kindness, compassion and solidarity.

The campaign was launched under the umbrella of MBRGI, the largest humanitarian and aid organisation of its kind in the region, and is an extension to the massive success of previous Ramadan campaigns launched under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Those include the:

  • 10 Million Meals campaign launched in 2020 and recording contributions of over 15.3 million meals,
  • 100 Million Meals campaign in 2021, which doubled its target and distributed 220 million meals in 30 countries around the world
  • 1 Billion Meals campaign reached its target in under a month and provided food support across 50 countries,
  • 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign received community wide support and raised AED1.075bn ($293m) by the end of Ramadan

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