DUBAI // A charity founder has been honoured for her humanitarian work with children in Africa as part of International Women’s Day.
Sarah Brook, 27, was thanked by Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development, and named humanitarian of the year at the World of Women Film Fair awards.
Female role models in the Middle East were honoured in eight categories at the ceremony. The event came at a time that the country is promoting the Year of Giving.
Ms Brook, a British expat who lives in Dubai and works in PR and corporate social responsibility, has vowed to sell her Dh10,000 pearl necklace prize, offered to all winners of eight categories of the awards, to help fund the international NGO she established in Zomba, Malawi five years ago.
Sparkle Malawi ensures that orphaned children are clothed, fed and sent to school.
“The necklace is an amazing prize, but its value in cash is far more important as to what it can offer the children,” she said.
“I’m trying to find someone who will buy it now so I can use the money to help the children with vaccinations and their education.”
Ms Brook splits her time between Dubai, to generate a salary, and regular trips to Malawi to manage the foundation.
She also gives inspirational talks to women, businesses and students across the Middle East about how every individual can make a difference.
She hopes the award will help raise the profile of Sparkle Malawi and encourage the support of one of the registered UAE charities, so she can legally raise funds in Dubai and hopefully one day replicate the model in the Middle East.
“Sparkle has developed from an international NGO to a global social enterprise encouraging young people to get involved, whatever their skill set,” she said.
“The most valuable thing people can give here in the UAE is time. Money is secondary for me, as pro-bono work is the best way to help.”
Sparkle’s costs run at around Dh100 a month per child, and totals about Dh15,500 each month, to fund the operation that feeds, clothes and schools hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children.
All proceeds from the awards event, raised through a raffle and silent auction of sporting memorabilia and art, is being donated to the Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation, established by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. It aims to position Dubai at the forefront of medical innovation.
A six-day fair is also currently showcasing 31 films created predominantly by female filmmakers, producers and screenwriters from 24 countries across five continents, at VOX Cinemas to educate on key issues facing women around the world.
Other winners included Dolores Al Shelleh, awarded sports leader of the year as the first Jordanian to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, designer Jelena Bin Drai made business leader of the year and rising talent Sarah Al Hashimi, director of documentary Lemonade about a young man with autism.
Ms Brook hopes her charity will gain support in the UAE as it ties in with the key messages launched in the national strategy for the Year of Giving.
One of these initiatives seeks to develop and implement four policies focused on social responsibility, volunteerism, endowment, and serving the nation respectively.
nwebster@thenational.ae
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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