The traditional concept of charity and philanthropy is hinged on giving time or money to a cause with the aim of alleviating a serious issue. Nowadays, thanks to a deeper understanding of socio-economic cause and effect cycles, the implications of philanthropic activities have become broader – we don't just give financial aid, we empower or equip the communities with the means necessary to eradicate the issues at hand.
The aim is not to alleviate the negative effects but to create a significant and tangible impact towards eliminating the underlying causes of the issues.
Reports by the Global Partnership of Education shows that if all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171m people could be lifted out of poverty. In addition, each year of schooling raises the average annual gross domestic product growth of a country by 0.37%. Also, in instances where the enrollment rate for secondary schooling is 10% higher than the average rate for the population, the risk of war is reduced by around 3%.
One of the best illustrations that can be made in this sense is the efforts being invested in tackling poverty through a targeted and studied approach, using a very powerful tool: education. Through its programs, Dubai Cares is equipping children with the tools that will enable them to transform into masters of their own destiny and contributors to their society and national economy. By building up their foundational learning, children are given a strong base from which they launch their ambitions for higher education as well as personal and professional success. The positive ripple effect this creates can raise both communities and nations out of poverty, onto the path of economic and social progress.
Moreover, the philanthropy sector today is as much about quality as it is about scale. At Dubai Cares, 72 programs have reached over 8m children in 31 developing countries. Quality education is the powerful driver of all those programs but their modus operandi for each program is distinct to the country in which they operate, and sensitive to the needs of the beneficiary children. The impact of having educated youth powering global growth is immense. By promoting education, Dubai Cares is setting the stage to nurture a generation of global citizens, who are productive as well as respectful towards different cultures and environments.
The Founder of Dubai Cares, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, firmly believes that education is one of the most effective tools to break the cycle of poverty. Its impact has never been more manifest than in our current knowledge-based economy. A strong educational background and professional skills can effectively break down the barriers to an individual's social, professional and economic advancement. Applied on a national scale, it has the power to eradicate poverty through pulling it out by its roots.
At present, there are 57m primary aged children out of school. To empower these children with knowledge and skills, enabling access to quality education is key. By providing children with an ideal learning environment, be it through the provision of classrooms and books or by facilitating a home-grown school feeding program, Dubai Cares is getting them invested in not only their education but also in that of future generations.
Dubai Cares believes that one of the great obstacles to children learning lies in the lack of trained teachers. By a recent estimate, 6.8m teachers will be needed by 2015 to cover the educational needs of all primary-school age children. Currently, less than 50% of teachers around the world have received the minimum teacher training required. Additionally, less female teachers mean less girls attending schools in many countries. The scale of the problem this presents cannot be underestimated - to build up the children's repertoire of skills, we need to build up the capacity of the teachers. Teachers need to employ interactive teaching and learning techniques in addition to ensuring a conducive classroom environment and availability of didactic material.
There also needs to be more collaboration between foundations and organizations to establish common goals and share best practices. Dubai Cares seeks to be a technical convener on education issues, especially in developing nations; and contributing to the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda and as a champion of innovative programs and policies.
As an example, Dubai Cares supported and hosted the second Learning Metrics Task Force (LMTF) meeting in Dubai during February 2012 to identify common learning goals in order to improve learning opportunities for children and youth across the world. The LMTF was convened by the Brookings Institution and UNESCO in order to ensure that learning becomes a central component of the global development agenda, in line with the UN Secretary General's Global Education First Initiative. Dubai Cares has been selected by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon to join as a member of the Technical Advisory Group for this 5 year global initiative, which was launched during the week of the UN General Assembly to ensure quality, relevant and transformative education for all children across the world.
Tariq Al Gurg is chief executive officer of Dubai Cares.
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