Big Heart pledges Dhs1.15 million for hospital, education in Egypt

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a Sharjah-based global humanitarian organisation dedicated to helping people in need worldwide, is funding two humanitarian projects in Egypt in a bid to create more opportunities in education and to support the healthcare services of a charitable children’s hospital.

Under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), the global humanitarian organisation has allocated total funding that exceeds Dhs1.15 million to support Al Nas Charitable Hospital in addition to providing educational opportunities for non-enrolled primary-level students in the villages of Luxor in Upper Egypt.

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Keeping in line with TBHF’s mission to safeguard the rights and improve the lives of vulnerable children and families worldwide, the entity’s funding of Dhs1,044,000 will serve to substantially ramp up the services offered by the 600-bed capacity Al Nas Hospital.

The generous donation will fund the addition of a new fleet of well-equipped ambulances to augment Al Nas Hospital’s services and significantly add to the functionality of its healthcare system. Ambulance services form the primary response to medical and trauma related emergencies around the clock and are essential for a healthcare provider to deal with life-and-death situations.

TBHF’s funding will also enable the streamlining of the services offered by the hospital through the purchase of two additional buses to meet the transportation needs of its staff members. This will enable efficient back-office functioning of the hospital and will reflect in the quality of services provided to patients. It will also enable the purchase of a zero-emission electric golf cart to assist patients unable to walk the 350-metre distance from the gates to the outpatient centre.

Considered one of the largest and most prominent medical centres in the MENA region, the hospital managed by the non-profit Al Joud Foundation is located in the densely populated neighbourhood of Shubra Al-Kheimah. It delivers its services free of charge to all patients in accordance with best practices and latest global standards with the assistance of highly qualified professionals. It is a model for partnership between state institutions, civil society, and the private sector to serve citizens and achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Al Nas Hospital has the potential to develop into a regional hub in the treatment of cardiopathic children, receiving patients and training doctors from other African countries, and TBHF’s funding will provide the much-needed initial momentum.

To respond to the challenge of improving education in Egypt where a rising population and lack of resources are driving inequities, TBHF seeks to empower and support individuals and communities by enhancing their access to learning opportunities with the ‘Supporting Community Education’ project, which is the proposed solution for being the processes that unite the efforts of parents and government authorities in Egypt to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions.

The allocation of Dhs114,699 targeting 150 pupils, aged between 6 -14 years old, and 20 facilitators will enhance the learning outcomes of non-enrolled children or dropouts from primary education through both curricular and extra-curricular activities. Apart from providing school uniforms for 150 pupils, the funding will cover costs of inclusion of activities such as drama, reading, drawing, arts, and handmade projects in the classroom.

TBHF funding will also encompass recruitment and capacity building workshop for 20 facilitators to aid in greater community involvement and support for Community Education in Luxor in Upper Egypt.

The one-year project, initiated by Misr El Kheir Foundation in September this year, will conclude in 2021.

Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of TBHF, said: “TBHF’s support for two projects in the healthcare and education sectors in Egypt is aligned with our recognition of the importance of these vital sectors in the development of low-income communities and enhancing the quality of life for their members, while also supporting the economy through competent human capital to raise its competitiveness and sustainability.”