Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are very proud that the end of the 2020 academic year saw the graduation of the 6th cohort of Ta’alouf Teachers Training Program comprising of 73 teachers from 23 schools.

Through Ta’alouf Teachers Training Program, in partnership with Zayed University, Al Jalila Foundation equips teachers from public and private schools with skills to broaden inclusivity in their classrooms and empower children of determination.

During these unprecedented times teachers have been remarkable at adapting their skills to teach remotely and ensure that no child is left out. For the first time the Ta’alouf program was delivered with a blended learning approach with face to face sessions and online sessions.

Dr Anna Ferreira, the program lead, said “The 6th cohort participants showed us that UAE teachers are flexible and creative; they meet new challenges with such a positive spirit.”

The program which is delivered in English and Arabic was born out of the principle that every child, no matter their ability, has enormous potential and that potential should be harnessed to empower the child to live a happy and productive life.

To date the Ta’alouf Teachers Training Program has trained 416 educators from 116 schools in the UAE.

By mid-January 2020, 3-year-old Wed had already been to what felt like hundreds of doctor’s appointments. She suffered from severe knee pain as a result of worsening genu varum (bilateral leg deformities or ‘bow legs’).

After visiting Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, it was apparent that this condition was also affecting her mental health as much as the physical. Young Wed was sad and withdrawn and refused to play with other children.

Although it was clear that surgery would profoundly improve her condition, the family was struggling to proceed due to financial constraints. Wed was referred as a candidate to receive support from Al Jalila Foundation’s A’awen program that supports patients in need and she was able to undergo surgery in March 2020.

Throughout postoperative-care Wed has proven to be an extraordinary young patient who alerts doctors to any discomfort she experiences allowing them to intervene at opportune moments.

Much to Wed’s delight the last x-ray showed her bones have healed nicely and after these few short months her personality has changed completely and the once withdrawn child is an extrovert who enjoys wearing dresses and playing with friends.

Read more about Wed’s life changing story here.

Around the globe sport has proven to be one of the greatest charitable avenues with running holding a strong lead in charitable fundraising and participation.

Although the global pandemic meant many running events were canceled, Dubai resident Ahmed Ali was not about to let that stop him supporting his favourite charity.

Ahmed got creative and initiated the #Eid2EidChallenge to raise funds for Al Jalila Foundation’s paediatric treatment program ‘Farah’ to give hope to sick children. Despite the heat and humidity, Ahmed ran 5 kilometers every day for 67 days from Eid Al Fitr to Eid Al Adha and invited the UAE running community to join him on his quest.

Every day different runners joined him at various locations across Dubai including local celebrity Big Rossi from Virgin Radio. The 5:30 Run club organised a charity run to support Ahmed raising almost AED 5,000.

The #Eid2EidChallenge has raised AED 12,850 with MonViso, Al Jalila Foundation longstanding partner, matching the funds raised.

In addition to this incredible feat, Ahmed is a true inspiration with a long list of humanitarian projects and has been volunteering on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March 2020.

Read more about Ahmed’s running challenge here.

When HedaietAllah Ghanem discovered she was selected to be one of the first to receive a full 6-year scholarship from Al Jalila Foundation to attend Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) she was speechless. Throughout high school she had explored many professions but nothing inspired her like medicine. The determination to pursue her dream had paid off and she was on her way to becoming a doctor.

Now completing year four of a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, HedaietAllah has taken keen interest in cardiology and pediatrics and intends to continue her studies upon graduation in 2022. In addition to regular studies, HedaietAllah is part of MBRU’s Summer Scholars Program where she volunteers and is able to develop knowledge through observerships and research.

“I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to attend medical school and attribute much of my personal and professional growth to the support of Al Jalila Foundation and MBRU. My ultimate goal is to take all that I achieve and give it back to my birthplace and home, Dubai.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, HedaietAllah remains steadfast in her goals and is proud to be co-leading the Child Health and Safety Team as part of the #Students_Against_COVID global movement to raise awareness in the community.

Stefano Iorini is no ordinary businessman but rather an entrepreneur passionate about philanthropy. With decades of commercial experience behind him, in 2015, Stefano launched MonViso Italian Mineral Water with a mission to develop a product that would give back every day.

With a good cause at the heart of the brand Stefano established the ‘Take Water. Give Life’ initiative which donates AED 1 per 1 litre sold, through designated partners, to Al Jalila Foundation to invest in medical education, treatment and research.

“The ‘Take Water. Give Life’ initiative is at the heart of our business, as we strongly believe it is important to do good in our community, and we are grateful for every individual who chooses MonViso.”

MonViso water has low sodium levels making it a favourite amongst fitness experts in the UAE who promote the brand and its humanitarian initiative. MonViso is also a regular sponsor at the leading sporting events across the country and was the preferred water partner for the 2019 edition of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.

Next insight for MonViso is an eco-conscious initiative to recycle used bottles into ‘Take Water, Give Life’ merchandise in collaboration with DGrade who transforms them into t-shirts, caps, string bags, and other products with all net proceeds dedicated to Al Jalila Foundation.

In keeping its CSR promise, MonViso has donated almost 800,000 litres through monthly charitable contributions to support patient treatment and pioneering medical research. Visit the MonViso eShop here to place your order and make every litre count.

A month after her birth it was apparent that baby Sarah had severe developmental delays and the doctors discovered that she was suffering with nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease.

Sarah’s parents were heartbroken when their daughter had to be admitted to hospital and it could take some time for her condition to improve.

The doctors advised that Sarah required a long-term treatment plan including regular assessments at the nephrology clinic. To add to the family’s turmoil, the lengthy stays at the hospital were not covered under their insurance plan and they desperately needed a helping hand. Al Jalila Foundation in partnership with the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) launched an SMS campaign to raise funds to sponsor Sarah’s treatment.

“I’m unable to express my gratitude to Al Jalila Foundation for helping my family emotionally and financially. We had feared we could not support our daughter through her illness and the Foundation treated her as their own. I will never forget this kindness and I hope one day to help other people in the same situation.”

Today Sarah, almost one year old, is responding very well to treatment and her parents are delighted their daughter is home safely with them.

Since inception, Al Jalila Foundation has encouraged thousands of motivated individuals and teams to raise funds by taking part in sports challenges. These endurance runs, triathlons, marathons and more have been instrumental to raising awareness and providing hope to patients suffering from chronic illnesses.

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, sporting events around the country were cancelled which meant that local athletes had to look for new creative ways to carry on supporting their favourite charitable causes.

Run 4 A Purpose (R4AP) is a Dubai based running club founded by Essam Adam as a way to give back to the local community. Determined to continue to use their passion for running to help save lives, R4AP celebrated their fourth anniversary by donating AED 1 per kilometre run throughout the month of June to Al Jalila Foundation to support children’s treatment. More than 50 members from the running club participated in the RUNniversary charity challenge and raised more than AED 13,000.

R4AP aims to inspire others to make a difference to young patients’ lives in the UAE. You can join them for a run or donate on the R4AP Hopasports page here.

Salim was born with a ventricular septal deformity, a hole in his heart, which caused developmental delays, fatigue when feeding, coughing and shortness of breath. Although, his parents faithfully followed his condition with the doctors in the hope that there would be an improvement, by the time he reached 5-months-old his symptoms began to deteriorate. He suffered from shortness of breath and due to severe lack of oxygen his skin had begun to turn blue. It was clear that Salim needed to undergo open heart surgery immediately.

The biggest challenge facing the family were the medical expenses but a friend directed them to Al Jalila Foundation where they found relief in their time of need.

“The support of the foundation and the hospital was not limited to performing surgery and medical care. They offered kindness and reassurance during the entire period of Salim’s intensive care until he left the hospital. It is with enormous gratitude to Al Jalila Foundation and the medical team that my child is in very good health and continues to improve day by day.”

Since 2013, with the dedicated support of donors, Al Jalila Foundation has been able to provide quality treatment to 844 patients like young Salim who were suffering from life threatening illnesses.