As part of its partnership with Emirates Foundation, an independent national organisation set up by the Abu Dhabi Government to facilitate public-private funded initiatives for the empowerment of youth across the UAE, du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), will benefit from corporate training while continuing to support youth empowerment programmes hosted by the organisation. The collaboration began in January 2017 and will continue through December 2018, with an aim to invest in youth development initiatives across the UAE.
As a Gold Partner of Emirates Foundation, du has pledged AED 1 million in support of the philanthropic initiatives of the organisation in exchange for corporate training programmes designed to strengthen its workforce and benefit its staff stakeholders. This year, in addition to its financial support of Emirates Foundation programmes, du will also participate in the Think Science Fair hosted by the organisation taking place this April.
“At du, supporting our community is among our top priorities in achieving our sustainability and business objectives. In the UAE, our young people are among our most valuable assets, and we believe it is our duty to contribute to their success and empowerment for years to come,” said Abdulwahed Juma, Executive Vice President, Brand and Corporate Communications, du. “We believe that building a strong community includes building a strong workforce, which is why our partnership with Emirates Foundation is highly beneficial for everyone involved. It enables us to dedicate our resources to important youth initiatives in the UAE while also participating in corporate training that benefits the people who make such contributions possible – our staff.”
Maytha Al Habsi, Chief Executive Officer at Emirates Foundation said: “At Emirates Foundation we believe in a focused model of youth development were impact can be maximised through effective and long-term partnerships. This is part of the promise we bring to our nation’s development and the value proposition we offer our partners. Our continued partnership with du is a unique model which demonstrates the tangible impact that the private sector can provide and the untapped opportunities that must be captured and scaled up. We look forward to working with du through our programmes and taking our partnership to the next level of engagement through the acquisition and transfer of best international practices, business skills and operations to serve our nation.”
The collaboration will be carried forth through key programmes offered by Emirates Foundation. The first is Esref Sah, one of the largest financial awareness programmes in the UAE, empowering youth with the knowledge and skills to create and maintain a healthy relationship with their finances and make the sound financial decisions that help them achieve a safe and secure future.
Emirates Foundation will be conducting a financial awareness session for du’s graduate trainees on 27th March in the form of a personal finance workshop geared towards individuals who wish to learn more about how they can manage their finances, save, manage their debts, make a retirement plan, and more.
The second programme is SANID, the National Emergency Response Volunteer Programme of the UAE, aligned with the Vision 2021 to ensure safe and secure community through a full prevention and readiness system. Launched in 2009, the programme is focused on enhancing community resilience and readiness to manage emergencies, crises and disasters by building a cadre of trained and certified emergency response volunteer. Beginning on 8th April, Emirates Foundation will aim to train du’s staff in these areas to better prepare them to handle emergencies at work and in their communities.
As part of its commitment to supporting Emirates Foundation, du will also participate in this year’s Think Science Fair, the region’s largest student science exhibition that aims to empower youth between the ages of 15-35 to actively engage with the digital revolution and provides them with the right platform to innovate and deploy technology to pursue STI education and careers.
The Think Science Fair invites young scientists and innovators to participate in the Think Science Competition, which will be judged by a panel of experts including Samer Geissah, Vice President of Innovation at du. The Think Science Fair and Competition will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Chairman of Emirates Foundation from 16th to 18th April. The responsibility of the judging panel will be to evaluate hundreds of innovative science projects competing at the national level to win the competition.
du was founded on the principle of adding value to all its stakeholders, especially the community it operates in. This principle is manifested in its initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and innovation, education and wellness, and development of society. Through its partnership with Emirates Foundation, du is striving to benefit a range of stakeholders, including its community, its staff, students in the UAE, and beyond.