Dubai Cares launches Dh13m educational programmes for Caribbean and Pacific islands

More than 6,350 children will benefit from four programmes in Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, in the Caribbean, as well as Vanuatu and Kiribati, in the Pacific Ocean

The four Dubai Cares programmes for Caribbean and Pacific Ocean islands will benefit more than 6,000 children. Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares has announced four new programmes worth a combined Dh12.8 million that will directly address key educational issues for thousands of children in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean Islands.

More than 6,350 schoolchildren in Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, as well as Vanuatu and Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean, will benefit from the programmes, which aim to support countries and islands severely affected by climate change.

The programme in St Vincent and the Grenadine, in partnership with The Zero Hunger Trust Fund, will provide one nutritious meal a day to 2,139 children across 12 primary schools. In addition, ongoing nutrition awareness will be offered to parents and guardians.

In Antigua and Barbuda, Dubai Cares will work with the Extended Arms Foundation to renovate the Villa Primary School Antigua, benefiting 355 schoolchildren.

A two-year programme is being rolled out in Vanuatu in partnership with UNICEF to improve the quality of early childhood education instruction; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities; nutrition and child protection. The intervention also addresses parenting support and improving quality of service provision at early childhood centres. It will be implemented in Penama province and will target pre-schools and parents in 84 communities.

Read more: Dubai Cares volunteers distribute new backpacks to 10,850 schoolchildren

In Kiribati, Dubai Cares’ programme aims to support the government in developing policy and quality standards to improve the existing national curriculum and services in partnership with UNICEF. This two-year programme will benefit about 1,000 schoolchildren.

“The four new programmes in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean Islands are designed to drive lasting institutional and structural changes, aimed at enhancing the quality of education through awareness-raising activities, strategic planning and intervention, policy involvement and technical training,” said Tariq Al Gurg, Dubai Cares CEO.