The National Happiness & Positivity Program has launched, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai, an initiative entitled “100 Days of Giving” targeting all students in both government and private schools in UAE.
The “100 Days of Giving” initiative aims at instilling and cultivating the value of giving, in its material and moral forms, in the minds of students at UAE schools within the framework of the program “Giving is Happiness”; organized by the National Happiness & Positivity Program and including a number of national initiatives supporting the goals of Year of Giving.
Value Within
H.E Ohoud Bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness, stressed on the importance of instilling the value of giving in the hearts of future generations, raising them on the same, and establishing this as the main component for the culture of the UAE society, which was originally founded on giving and positive values with honourable human dimensions.
Al Roumi stated: The “100 Days of Giving” initiative we are executing in cooperation with our strategic partners targets all government and private schools in the UAE, the objectives and contents of which are in line with the goals of Year of Giving announced by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President. It embodies the visions of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
Al Maktoum,Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, that “giving is happiness, serving people is happiness and giving without return is also happiness”, which is emphasized by H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, when saying “Giving has great value as instilled by Zayed has become a unique and honourable approach of the UAE”.
Raising Awareness
She added that the initiative aims at supporting moral education and raising students’ awareness around the concept of giving in all its forms, be it material or moral, and to train them on adopting this value culturally and as a life style, stressing on the role of schools in strengthening this value as they bear the responsibility of refining student’s personalities and empowering them with the skills of giving to become a way of life.
Her Excellency, Minister of State for Happiness, explained that the initiative is being executed on a scientific basis, where a scientific survey was conducted on school students to measure their level of understanding and awareness of the values of giving before launching the initiative. A similar survey will also be conducted after completion of the 100 days in order to analyse and compare the results of both studies, measure the extent of progress made by the initiative, to monitor the extent of positive transformation in acquiring the value of giving, and converting of the same in to daily practises.
Al Roumi praised the partners of the National Happiness & Positivity Program in the 100 Days of Giving initiative; the Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Education Council and the Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai, for their efforts and quality projects which support the objectives of the initiative, and which symbolize the educational sector’s keenness on raising positive and giving generations.
Motivational Activities
The 100 Days of Giving Initiative was launched through several events organized at a number of government and private schools in UAE; with the participation of H.E Ohoud Al Roumi, H.E Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, H.E Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, Dr. Abdullah Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai, and a number of officials in the educational sector; to motivate students, teachers and administration staff to launch initiatives related to strengthening the value of giving and providing assistance to all groups of society.
The 100 Days of Giving Initiative includes, in addition to the diversified activities and events aimed at developing the value of giving, distribution of journals among students containing an undertaking to participate in giving, and diaries where students write down the acts of giving they participated in throughout the 100 days.
Life is Better When We Give
The Ministry of Education launched an initiative entitled “Life is better when we give” which consists of students writing real stories about giving and its impact on the person who gives. The Ministry will select the 10 best stories to be published and distributed to UAE libraries, the proceeds of which will be donated to support projects by “Dubai Cares”.
H.E Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education emphasized, during her latest visit with H.E Ohoud Al Roumi to Mariah Coptic School in Dubai, that the 100 Days of Giving Initiative represents a true interpretation of the wise leadership’s vision and future aspirations and their attention to strengthen positive values and gracious behaviour which contribute to the building of giving generations within a happy and pioneering educational environment that inspires excellence.
Effective Environment
Al Muhairi stated that the initiative symbolizes an effective environment characterized by happiness, positivity and optimism in school communities, we can witness its impact becoming more apparent, and its positive results reflected within the school community.
She added that the initiative is in line with the Ministry of Education’s modern educational vision that instils the standards, morals and principles of students who are proactive, creative and interactive with their surroundings and society, and who are capable of creating positive change in others. Al Muhairi clarified that the initiative is considered a significant educational project which adds important elements to the school community, to establish the foundations of leadership for UAE students.
Significant Attendance
She said that she had observed a significant attendance by students and noticeable interaction with the initiative’s selected events and activities along with its active educational objectives, and will thus reflect on the interdependence of the components of the school community.
The school hosted, in the presence of Ohoud Al Roumi and Jameela Al Muhairi, a number of orphaned children who participated in assorted entertainment activities where they expressed their happiness and joy. The Ministers also met with a group of school workers and bus drivers where small gifts where presented to them.
Together We Teach
The Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai launched the “Together We Teach” initiative, where H.E Ohoud Al Roumi and Dr. Abdullah
Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Knowledge & Human Development Authority in Dubai, worked as assistants for the teacher of the moral education subject at “Uptown School” in Dubai.
This initiative aims at expressing gratitude and appreciation for teachers at Dubai schools by assisting and helping them teach during school days, and focuses on enhancing the well-being and happiness of teachers through living their daily experiences to better understand what makes them happy.
Spreading Goodness…Investing in future generations
Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, emphasized during his visit to Khalifa A School for Girls in Abu Dhabi with H.E Ohoud Al Roumi, the Council’s eagerness to strengthen the concept of goodness and giving in students by focusing on investment of future generations to understand the foundations of giving to society, beginning with schools and homes, and extending to the community in its entirety.
He said: The 100 Days of Giving Initiative stems from a set of objectives aimed at raising a promising educated generation capable of serving their country and society, and focuses on establishing the values of forgiveness and respect, strengthening positive behaviour in students, and inspiring them to participate in community and voluntary work.
Interaction & Responsibility
He added that this initiative seeks to strengthen the value of the moral education subject which establishes the values of giving, love of goodness, cooperation, community partaking and helping others, in addition to other concepts that develop the sense of proactivity, positive interaction and responsibility, and encourages creativity, innovation and ambitions and perfection of work in students.
In this context, the Abu Dhabi Education Council, in cooperation with the National Happiness & Positivity Program, launched an initiative entitled “Spreading Goodness” based on the concept of distributing “spreading goodness” cards to students and explaining how to use them. The initiative, which aims at strengthening the value of giving, includes students performing acts of goodness which encourage the spread of giving and goodness to others without return. The student delivers the “spreading goodness” card for each act of goodness he performs. He then encourages them to undertake good acts for others and also deliver this card. The card is transferred from one person to another, and the impact of this initiative includes all members of society, starting with schools and moving onwards to a broader spectrum.
07/05/2017