DUBAI // A group devoted to fighting illiteracy in Pakistan is blaming poor economic conditions for an expected shortfall in donations from the UAE, its oldest and biggest foreign supporter.
The Citizens Foundation (TCF), Pakistan's largest educational non-governmental organisation (NGO), relies heavily on donations from the region to support its 600 schools, which educate 80,000 children.
By April this year, the number of TCF academies is expected to rise to 650 and serve 95,000 children.
Last year, TCF raised 568 million rupees (Dh24.5m) worldwide. Almost a third of that came from the Emirates.
Group officials blamed the economic downturn for the decrease in funding.
"We have lost some donors, some have shelved or postponed their commitments," said Mushtaq Chhapra, one of six founding directors who attended the UAE Supporters Conference in Dubai last Wednesday. "We are being very cautious and taking extreme measures."
In 1998, the UAE became the first country outside Pakistan to support TCF.
Government statistics suggest that around 50 per cent of Pakistanis are literate. The government aims to increase that figure by more than 15 per cent by the end of the year.
asafdar@thenational.ae
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National