Dubai Cares launches ‘Volunteer Globally’ in Senegal

Dubai / Emirates Business

Dubai Cares has officially launched the 2016 edition of Volunteer Globally — one of the main pillars of its local outreach activities — with a school-building mission in Senegal.
The organization’s renowned initiative, which takes UAE residents to disadvantaged areas around the world, will travel to Africa to support the local community in constructing a new school in the Fatik District of Senegal. Once complete, the school is set to directly benefit 150 children.
Dubai Cares will shortlist 50 candidates on a first-come first-served basis, followed by a round of one-on-one interviews for the final selection of the 15 volunteers to travel to Senegal between October 30 and November 6. The interviews will be conducted between July 23 and 31. An additional 15 volunteers will be placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations. The volunteer team will also receive a comprehensive briefing ahead of the trip, which will cover the ground situation in Senegal, socio-economic background as well as an overview of the activities that will be undertaken as part of the school construction. As well as participating in worksite activities, such as digging, picking, mixing concrete and making bricks, volunteers will be able to immerse themselves into the local culture, meet families, learn local values and build positive perceptions for the local population.
Although Senegal has a diversified economy by West African standards, it barely escapes being classified by the World Bank as one of the poorest of the world’s nations. Dubai Cares aims to engage the UAE community with the local culture and bring positive change to a vulnerable and disadvantaged nation.
Volunteer Globally, first launched in 2009, has enjoyed great success in collaborating with destitute societies with a desire to evoke change and provide education to thousands of children. For this year, Dubai Cares
is seeking candidates of 21 years of age and above, with a passion and
enthusiasm for social work and the ability to undertake physical construction work.
The initiative will be the subject of a documentary which tracks the progress and efforts of those working tirelessly to change the lives of the local communities. The mission in Senegal follows a successful edition in Nepal in 2014, whereby the Volunteer Globally team helped build a school in the village of Barkamuda.
The Dubai Cares-led schools are helping underprivileged children break through social, economic and political boundaries bestowed upon them from an early age. About the 2014 edition of Volunteer Globally, Dubai Cares Chief Executive Officer, Tariq Al Gurg said: “By utilizing living quarters close to the community and school, we were able to maximize interaction with the Barkamuda community and emphasize the influence the school will have on raising a generation of educated youth who can smoothly participate and benefit from a knowledge-based global economy. I am hopeful that this year’s mission will be as rewarding and enriching for all participating volunteers as last year’s.”
The basic logistics and expenses of the trip including visa charges, travel, accommodation, food and beverage, travel supplies, vaccinations and safety equipment will be handled by Dubai Cares. Upon completion of the project, all volunteers will receive a Certificate of Appreciation.