Shoppers invited to donate solar light kits
AL TAYER INSIGNIA AIMS TO SUPPORT 12,500 KIDS IN WAR-TORN AREAS
This Ramadan, thousands of children in impoverished and war-torn countries will receive light and hope through a charity campaign involving UAE residents.
Al Tayer Insignia, the retail business of Al Tayer Group, yesterday launched the campaign #LetThereBeHope in collaboration with Beacon of Hope UAE.
Founded by Shaikha Shamma Bint Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Beacon of Hope UAE supports poor children through the delivery and assembly of a solar light kit, dubbed ‘beacon in a box’. Each kit costs Dh40 and the campaign aims to raise Dh500,000, which will allow it to cover 12,500 children.
Ahead of the campaign’s launch, the charity sent the first consignment of its contribution to poor children in Malawi. “Unity and giving are part of the spirit of Ramadan. We are delighted to have the support of Al Tayer Insignia and look forward to providing our lessons in a box to schools in impoverished areas,” Shaikha Shamma said in a message.
‘1.3b people in darkness’
Her brother Shaikh Mohammad Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who was present at the campaign launch at Bloomingdale’s, said: “We often take for granted the fact that we have light. However, 1.3 billion people globally are living in darkness.”
Beacons in a box have already been assembled by children ■ in Tanzania, Liberia, Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Malawi, Somalia, the US and the UAE.
“There’s an unexplainable joy in seeing a smile light up a child’s face after they have successfully assembled their light,” said Sarah Saeed Bawazir, board member of Beacon of Hope.
“These kids don’t have the privilege of having electricity and light. Some have to walk long distances to reach their schools. We aim to spread hope, one light and one educated child at a time.”
Books distributed
Books from Dubai Cares and Wanna Read? in Abu Dhabi — another initiative of Shaikha Shamma — are also distributed to the children receiving the solar-powered lights. Teachers from Abu Dhabi have been roped in to prepare resource materials to the teachers of the children receiving the kits.
“The key is not to give those kids just the basic knowledge. We would like to get them hope beyond their situation so that they can aspire to be engineers of the future,” Bawazir said.
Khalid Al Tayer, CEO Al Tayer Insignia, said: “We are very happy to partner with Beacon of Hope this Ramadan, an outstanding initiative which aligns with our company’s CSR commitment to working with causes and charities that support access to quality education and well-being of children.”