Antigua and Barbuda Foreign Minister thanks Dubai

The Honorable Charles Fernandez, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Antigua and Barbuda, met with Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares last week to discuss the latest developments in Antigua and Barbuda following Hurricane Irma. The meeting took place at Dubai Cares headquarters in the presence of Abdulla Ahmed Al Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer, and Annina Mattsson, Director of Programmes, at Dubai Cares.

During the meeting, Mr. Fernandez discussed Dubai Cares’ latest programme in Antigua and Barbuda, and expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the UAE’s generous donations and tremendous support in the wake of hurricane Irma.

Dubai Cares’ programme in Antigua and Barbuda, ‘Renovation of Villa Primary School in Antigua and Barbuda’, is being implemented in partnership with the Extended Arms Foundation and aims to renovate the Villa Primary School Antigua, improving the physical environment and infrastructure at the school. The programme, which benefits 355 school children, meets the government's commitment to providing quality education for the children of Antigua while using the renovated Villa Primary School as a benchmark for future schools in the country.

Following the meeting, Tariq Al Gurg said, "Although our programme started early this year, our intervention in Antigua and Barbuda comes at a time when support for the education sector in the Caribbean is in dire need of help following the recent devastation brought on by hurricane Irma. Through this programme, Dubai Cares aims to improve the learning environment in this country so that there is an improvement in the academic performance of students."

The Dubai Cares programme is designed to drive lasting institutional and structural changes, aimed at enhancing the quality of education, reflecting the organisation's commitment to continuously identify new necessary interventions, particularly where countries are in need of resources, improved infrastructures and provision of quality education to support the development of children.

Since its inception, Dubai Cares, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has been working towards providing children and young people in developing countries with access to quality education through the design and funding of programmes that aim to be integrated, impactful, sustainable and scalable. As a result, the UAE-based global philanthropic organisation has successfully launched education programmes that now reach over 16 million beneficiaries in 45 developing countries.