Abu Dhabi: Every student deserves an opportunity for an education: that’s the message behind Abu Dhabi University’s (ADU) campaign to financially support 500 undergraduate students through their university stint. The announcement was made in Abu Dhabi during a press conference on Wednesday.
The campaign is being partnered by Zakat Fund, with this year marking the campaign’s seventh straight year running. The programme has supported more than 1,500 students with Dh50 million donated to the project in the last six years and, with 2017 being declared the Year of Giving, the university is looking to go bigger this year in comparison to previous campaigns.
“The campaign’s noble purpose is to ease the academic financial burdens of students who are not only eligible for Zakat [alms-giving], but are academically gifted and have the ambition and drive needed to achieve success in pursuing their undergraduate degrees on either of the university’s campuses in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain,” said Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Daheri, chairman of ADU’s executive board.
“This year’s campaign comes as a great opportunity with the Year of Giving, and it will be targeted to both Emirati and non-Emirati students to attain an international accredited degree. It is the right year to give, it is the right cause, and the right investment,” he added.
Al Daheri said the university was aiming to raise at least Dh15 million as part of the campaign.
“It is a lot of money,” he said, but noted that every dirham raised would be worth it. “We receive so many applications from high-calibre potential students, the only thing they need is money. All of them can achieve great success to transform their lives and also the lives of their families with an education. There is a saying that if you feed a person a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach the person how to fish you feed him for the rest of his life, and that is exactly what we are trying to do.”
Abdullah Bin Aqeeda Al Muhairi, secretary general of Zakat Fund, spoke positively on the organisation’s partnership with ADU and the beneficial aspects of the campaign.
“The themes of focus that President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced for the Year of Giving correspond and integrate with the purpose of this partnership and the campaign, which aims to support humanitarian efforts in the field of education, as well as spread awareness on the importance of Zakat in achieving greater social solidarity in society.”