Big Heart Foundation launches back-to-school drive for children in Gaza and Egypt

The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) has launched its 2026 Back to School Campaign to support 3,000 students in Gaza, Egypt and Sharjah with school supplies and educational assistance.

The campaign aims to help children and young people continue their education despite financial hardship, conflict or displacement by providing school bags and essential learning materials, as well as funding tuition for students at The Big Heart Educational Centre in Sharjah. Fares Al Shahm is supporting the shipment of school supplies to Gaza, while Air Arabia is supporting shipments to Egypt. City Centre Al Zahia, part of Majid Al Futtaim, is providing space for a four-day volunteering activation in Sharjah. A donation of Dhs200 provides a student with a complete school bag and learning supplies, Dhs500 supports one month of tuition at The Big Heart Educational Centre, while Dhs7,000 funds a student's education for an academic year.

From Aug.20 to 23, individuals, families and organisations can participate in a school-bag packing activation at City Centre Al Zahia. The initiative will run daily from 10:00 to 23:00 on the mall's first floor next to Home Centre, with volunteers packing notebooks, stationery and other learning materials.

In Gaza, school supplies will support children whose education has been disrupted by conflict, while students in Egypt will receive complete school bags to help them begin the academic year prepared.

In Sharjah, donations will support students enrolled at The Big Heart Educational Centre, which provides educational and vocational pathways for children and young people from resident families with limited financial resources.

The campaign aims to help children and young people continue their education despite financial hardship. WAM

Mariam Al Hammadi, Advisory Board Member of The Big Heart Foundation, said, "A child's circumstances should never determine whether they have the basic tools to learn. For children in Gaza, educational supplies can preserve an important connection to learning amid profound disruption. For children in Egypt, a complete school bag can help them approach the academic year with greater preparedness and confidence."

She added, "This campaign gives everyone a clear and meaningful role. A donation, a packed school bag or support for a student's tuition can remove an immediate barrier to education and show children that their ambitions and futures continue to matter."

Abdulla Alblooshi, Associate Director, Portfolio Management, Sharjah Shopping Malls, Majid Al Futtaim, said, "By hosting The Big Heart Foundation's school-bag packing activation at City Centre Al Zahia, we are proud to provide a space where families, individuals and organisations can translate their generosity into practical support for students.

"Donations start from Dhs10. e& users can contribute by sending the code BTS26 by SMS to 7857 for Dhs10, 7859 for Dhs50, 7788 for Dhs100, 7789 for Dhs200, 7708 for Dhs500 or 7160 for Dhs1,000.du users can send BTS26 to 9965 for Dhs10, 9967 for Dhs50 or 9968 for Dhs100.Supporters in the UAE and abroad can also donate through TBHF's online platform or transfer contributions to The Big Heart Foundation - Local Projects Fund at Sharjah Islamic Bank.

TBHF called on individuals, families, institutions and organisations to contribute to the campaign and invited members of the UAE community to participate in the school-bag packing activation. WAM