‘Donate Your Own Device’ campaign to support students worldwide, promote sustainability

The Digital School, one of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives, announced that the "Donate Your Own Device” campaign, which was launched in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), under the theme "Donate to Educate," managed to collect more than 32,000 used electronic devices, which will be refurbished and recycled, to support underprivileged students of the Digital School worldwide with devices that support their digital education journey.

The announcement of the campaign’s achievements came in line with "Global Recycling Day," on March 18, which highlights the importance of this global initiative and its multiple humanitarian, educational, and environmental goals, reflecting the leading role of the UAE in achieving the UNSDGs, preserving the environment through recycling, and providing access to education for students around the world.

Electronic devices included 36 per cent computers, tablets and smartphones, 30 per cent other electronic devices such as screens, printers and projectors, and 34 per cent electronic devices accessories, which are refurbished or recycled in an environmentally safe manner and pursuant the best practices to reduce e-waste, which accounts for around 70 per cent of toxic waste.

VALUE OF ‘GIVING’

Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Digital School, stated that the success of the campaign and the vast contributions reflect the value of "giving” inherent in the UAE society, their awareness of the importance of humanitarian initiatives, and their keenness to promote sustainability. He commended the great interaction that the campaign has witnessed since its launch, and the fruitful partnerships with government and private sector entities and academic institutions towards this achievement.

Al Olama stressed that the Digital School believes in promoting solutions for enabling digital education, which is the future of education and provides learning opportunities for underprivileged students worldwide through digital learning applications. He further noted that the "Donate Your Own Device” campaign reflects this vision through an innovative humanitarian and environmental initiative that goes in line pace with the UAE’s directives in the Year of Sustainability and reflects the leadership’s visions towards promoting international cooperation to achieve the UN sustainable development goals; environmental sustainability and access to education.

Rashid Al Mansouri, Secretary-General of the ERC, pinpointed that the "Donate Your Own Device” campaign supports the goals of the Digital School programmes that were launched in the UAE to provide innovative educational solutions to countries facing challenges in this vital sector. It provides students with accessibility to advanced digital education content, encourages them to learn, acquire knowledge and overcome challenges, in addition to enriching the e-content and supporting better education, which is the main path towards achieving development and laying the foundations of stability, progress and prosperity.

Al Mansouri hailed the vast response to the campaign from all sectors in the UAE, exceeding the campaign’s objectives over a short period of time. He reiterated the Red Crescent’s commitment to its strategic partnership with the Digital School to enhance smart education opportunities in less privileged countries and communities, stressing that the ERC spares no effort to help achieve the goals of the Digital School and cover more beneficiaries regionally and globally.

Dr Waleed Al Ali the Secretary-General of The Digital School, said: "The campaign represents an innovative partnership for education and sustainability," he pointed out that the campaign serves as a global model for overcoming the challenges associated with digital education.

Youssef Chehade, co-founder of eCyclex, one of the Digital School’s partners in the "Donate Your Own Device” campaign, stated, "With the challenges of climate change, not only the environment is affected, but also communities especially in rural areas, due to floods, fires, drought and other causes. One of the most empowering solutions is to support education in less connected areas to enable students build a better future for their families and communities.”

"The initiative leverages technology to achieve all these strategic goals, from education to improving society and protecting the environment from e-waste, locally and globally,” Chehade added.

The Digital School announced the extension of the "Donate Your Own Device” campaign to continue receiving contributions and donations, in an effort to expand the circle of beneficiaries from the advanced learning solutions it will provide to underprivileged students.

The "Donate Your Own Device” campaign witnessed effective interaction from more than 85 government and private sector entities, academic institutions, and community members, including: Dubai Police, the American University of Sharjah (AUJ), the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Digital Dubai, Emirates Airlines, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai World, Etihad Water and Electricity, Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA), Dubai Customs, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), Dubai Culture, Masdar, Emirates NBD, Dubai Municipality, among others.

The "Donate Your Own Device” campaign aimed to provide 10,000 used electronic devices to be refurbished and recycled after collecting them from individual and institutional donors, in an educational, humanitarian and environmental initiative that supports the educational process for less privileged Digital School students worldwide.

The Digital School receives used electronic devices or financial donations from community members and government and private sector entities through the official donation channels it runs in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent, including the campaign website https://www.donateyourowndevice.org or by sending an SMS to 2441 for Etisalat users or 3551 for Du users.

The initiative contributes to developing innovative and sustainable solutions to support the Digital School projects by refurbishing old devices and using them to develop future education solutions. It further pinpoints its eco-friendly practices, as it supports environmental sustainability by reducing e-waste. Participating institutions are granted a green contribution certificate in sustainability and recycling from "e-Cyclex” and "Reloop”.

The "Digital School,” which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in November 2020 as part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), is a first-of-its-kind integrated Digital School that aims to empower students with digital learning options in underserved areas. It also provides a quality option for hybrid and distance learning using smart and flexible methodologies. The Digital School targets less privileged societies, refugees and displaced persons, using modern educational materials and curricula.

The Digital School adopts a comprehensive approach to digital transformation in education, based on providing educational opportunities through digital learning options, especially in remote and developing areas which lack appropriate learning conditions. The Digital School has more than 160,000 beneficiary students and provides its services in more than 13 countries, namely: Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Lebanon, Colombia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Angola, Namibia, Lesotho, Zambia, and Madagascar. It has trained more than 2,500 digital teachers and provides educational and training content in four languages: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.

WAM