Winners of a UAE schools poetry competition could shave off 50 per cent of their school fees for the year.
Pupils across the Emirates are being encouraged to write and share their experiences of the UAE.
Children agedbetween 8 and 18 can submit original poems in English or Arabic.
The competition is being run by the International Schools Partnershipthat has four schools in the Emirates including the Aquila School and Aspen Heights British School.
Winners of the contest will be pupils at the partnership's schools or will have the option to move to one of their institutions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to use the scholarship.
“We recognise that poetry can play an important part in a developing a child’s language skills," said Bharat Mansukhani, regional managing director at the International Schools Partnership.
"It encourages creative expression and offers a deeper understanding of sound, rhythm and the use of emotion in language.
“With the UAE marking 2021 as the 'Year of 50' we encourage pupils from all schools to share with us their poems about this country we all call home.
“Through this competition we hope to bring the entire community together in order to celebrate the UAE as our home."
Pupils have until May 31 to submit their pieces of work.
Those who win the prizes are in line to save on thousands of dirhams in school fees for the year.
For the 2021-2022 academic year, fees at the Aquila School range from Dh36,000 for foundation stage one to Dh52,800 for year nine.
Eight pupils in the UAE could win scholarships, though this may vary depending on the number of applications.
"If we were to receive a ton of applications, we may consider having more scholarships but if we don't receive as many, we reserve the right to make a decision there," Mr Mansukhani said.
“The motive is to celebrate the UAE, and to promote literacy, reading and writing.
"The story applies to everyone and I hope the campaign will resonate with children across the UAE."
He said their target was to raise awareness of the experiences of people from different backgrounds and hear stories from children across the country.
In the past, the school group had set up a writing campaign in which parents, pupils and teachers sent letters to their future selves.
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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.
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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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