Page 165 - UAE Foreign Aid Report 2022

Section 05
165
UAE Donors

These projects aimed to empower individuals with no of these sites. Additionally, embracing the spirit of
income by equipping them with sustainable income giving, AED 9.4 million (USD 2.6 million) was earmarked
sources, thus fostering self-reliance. This innovative for seasonal programmes, which manifested in acts
initiative led to the construction of 16 charitable like distributing Zakat money, food, and clothing during
complexes, establishment of 60 endowment shops, the Holy Month of Ramadan, and sponsoring pilgrims
and support to nearly 1,500 productive hands projects. for Hajj. Through these initiatives, the Sharjah Charity
Religious sites, the cornerstones of community and Association exemplified its dedication to holistic
faith, were not overlooked. AED 35.3 million (USD 9.6 societal betterment.
million) was dedicated to the construction and upkeep

02 Basic Drinking Water Supply

In 2022, the Sharjah Charity Association accentuated were drilled and constructed, providing countless
its commitment to one of the most fundamental human communities with access to life’s most vital resource.
needs—access to clean drinking water. The Association, Beyond wells, the Association’s endeavors extended
recognizing the global water crisis, especially in Least to the larger infrastructure required for sustainable
Developed Countries (LDCs), channeled its resources water solutions. This is evident in the establishment
to significantly bolster the basic drinking water supply and maintenance of 11 desalination plants in Egypt,
sector. A total of 25 countries were beneficiaries of which play a crucial role in converting saline water to
this initiative, of which 16 were LDCs. The funding potable water, especially vital for regions with limited
earmarked for this sector accounted for nearly 20% freshwater sources. Furthermore, the establishment
of the Association’s annual budget, translating to an of two comprehensive water network systems in
impactful AED 46.0 million (USD 12.5 million). Kyrgyzstan attests to the Association’s comprehensive
Tajikistan, the Philippines, and Indonesia emerged as approach, ensuring not just availability, but also
the paramount recipients, highlighting the pressing efficient distribution of clean water to the areas that
water challenges in these regions. Through the need it most.
Association’s efforts, a staggering 6,803 water wells

03 Education

In 2022, the Sharjah Charity Association underscored it ensured the refurbishment of 19 existing classrooms,
its unwavering commitment to advancing global underlining the importance of not just creating, but
education, earmarking a notable AED 12.6 million maintaining educational facilities for sustained impact.
(USD 3.4 million) to this pivotal sector. Their efforts The construction and outfitting of 5 entirely new schools
reverberated across 15 nations, with a significant bear testimony to the Association’s expansive vision
focus on nine Least Developed Countries (LDCs), for education, looking beyond immediate needs and
which often face the greatest challenges in terms focusing on long-term community upliftment. These
of educational infrastructure and resources. The schools will serve as pillars of learning for generations to
Association’s endeavors have had tangible, on- come. The culmination of their educational infrastructure
ground implications, marking a profound difference in projects can be seen in the completion of an entire
countless communities. university, a testament to the Association’s foresight in
An impressive 233 classrooms were not just built supporting higher education and empowering youth to
but also fully equipped, catering to the diverse and achieve advanced academic and professional pursuits.
holistic educational needs of students. This addition In the same vein, maintaining a college building and
is akin to bolstering the capacity of multiple schools, equipping an educational institute further accentuates
potentially impacting thousands of students. However, the Sharjah Charity Association’s holistic approach to
the Association’s understanding of the education education, reinforcing its standing as a beacon of hope
realm was not just limited to classroom construction; and progress in the global education arena.