Mothers' Endowment campaign raises over Dhs1.4b, announces Sheikh Mohammed

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness 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, 2024, to honour mothers by establishing a Dhs1 billion 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 Dhs1.484 billion before the end of Ramadan.

Sheikh Mohammed 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 honour mothers. The Mothers’ Endowment which raised over Dhs 1.4 billion 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. May God protect all mothers, and may God protect the UAE.” 

“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,” he added.

“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 honor of our mothers, and it will continue to welcome contributions to ensure greater benefits,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid concluded.

Community wide response

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 center, bank transfers, du and etisalat by e& SMS, as well as via the DubaiNow app and the community contributions platform Jood (jood.ae).

A noble mission

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) said: “Reflecting the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, 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,” he added, expressing his confidence that, thanks to the community wide support it enjoyed, the campaign will achieve its targets and will further cement the UAE’s humanitarian role.

Major contributors

Among major contributors to the campaign, Azizi Developments announced a contribution of Dhs 600 million for the establishment of an endowment education complex, marking one of the largest charity contributions in the UAE. Sobha Realty Group also contributed Dhs400 million to establish an endowment university as part of the Mothers’ Endowment campaign, while West Zone Group contributed Dhs130 million to develop an endowment building that will dedicate its proceeds to supporting MBRGI’s initiatives relating to spreading knowledge and education around the world.

Most Noble Number charity auctions

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 Dhs 116,479,400 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 Dhs38.095 million 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 Dhs78,384,400 from auctioning 555 special plate numbers.

Innovative initiative

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.

230,000 participation certificates

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.

Reviving the culture of endowments

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.

Massive success

The campaign is launched under the umbrella of MBRGI, the largest humanitarian and aid organization 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, followed by the ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign in 2021, which doubled its target and distributed 220 million meals in 30 countries around the world. In 2022, the ‘1 Billion Meals’ campaign reached its target in under a month and provided food support across 50 countries, while last year’s ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign received community wide support and raised Dhs 1.075 billion by the end of Ramadan.