Shaikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sees hope for Sudanese children

Maitha sees hope for Sudanese children
By a staff reporter KHALEEJ TIMES 3 October 2007

DUBAI — The enormous challenges being faced by children in Sudan can be overcome only through humanitarian initiatives such as the ‘Dubai Cares’ campaign, according to Shaikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

During her first-ever visit to Sudan as part of the Dubai Cares initiative, Shaikha Maitha toured the country to personally understand the children’s struggle to obtain basic education.

Senior government officials in Khartoum briefed her on the educational needs of the country, decimated by over 20 years of civil war. In Juba, Unicef officials Peter Crowley, Director, and Douglas Higgins, Deputy Representative, Southern Sudan, highlighted the country’s situation in the south.

Isa Abdullah Al Bashah Al Nu’aimi, UAE Ambassador to Sudan, was present during the briefings and Shaikha Maitha’s visits to the schools.

Shaikha Maitha said: “Dubai Cares believes in every child’s right to education and is committed to ensuring that no child is denied education. I wanted to tell the children we are here to help them and to, ultimately, help their country.”

Shaikha Maitha and her delegation visited Kuku-A Primary School and Juba 1 Girl’s Primary School, where the children welcomed her with songs and dances.

Recalling the experience of visiting the 4x3-metre classroom shared by nearly 60 students, she said: “I am touched by the warmth and strength of these children — a testament to their will to live and learn. We owe it to them to keep their hopes alive.”

In Khartoum, Shaikha Maitha visited the Mustapha Hamad School for Girls. She said: “Having seen the situation and the conditions children endure to obtain education, I am overwhelmed with their capacity to cope with the unbelievable. My heart goes out to them. Through campaigns such as Dubai Cares, we will empower them, their families and the community.”