Dubai, UAE: du’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts received recognition from Dubai Cares, a UAE-based philanthropic organisation founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Representing du at the event were Osman Sultan, CEO; Hala Badri, Executive Vice President, Brand and Communications. Tariq Al Gurg, CEO and Abdulla Al Shehhi, Senior Fundraising Specialist, represented Dubai Cares

Senior management from Dubai Cares visited du recently as part of the organisation’s reporting cycle, , to update du management team  on the progress and presented impact reports during the past four years.

Tariq Al Gurg apprised the du management team into the full cycle approach taken by Dubai Cares, which aims at securing equal access for boys and girls to safe learning environments with adequate facilities, materials and academic support from qualified teachers and engaged communities. This is divided into four main projects: School Infrastructure; School Health and Nutrition; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools and Quality of Education.

The report reveals that Dubai Cares reached out to more than 5,000,000 children in 24 countries, built and renovate over 1000 schools, drilled more than 1000 water well, distributed over a million books written in local languages, established over 5,000 Parent-Teacher Associations and trained over 20,000 teachers.

“I am very pleased of the massive achievements Dubai Cares has managed in such a short time, and it is my hope that the organisation will continue to make such a significant impact on the lives of children,” said Osman Sultan, CEO, du. “We support community-related activities and initiatives, which is why we are proud to lend our assistance to Dubai Cares. Our slogan, ‘add life to life’, exemplifies our dedication to communities, humanitarian stories and challenges, which we are proud to meet with Dubai Cares, as well as through our own CSR initiatives.”

“du’s continued support of Dubai Cares has made a lot of things possible for us, and we are very happy and thankful for their on-going contributions to our cause,” said Tariq Al Gurg, CEO, Dubai Cares. “Dubai and the UAE has a history of being hospitable, and it is important to emphasise upon this charitable nature by establishing ourselves on a global scale, in terms of CSR. So far we have been able to help an incredible number of children, and we look forward to aiding even more in the years to come.”

du is an innovative telecommunications brand in that it not only helps its customers stay connected, but it believes in giving back to the community by facilitating and helping people to donate and support Dubai Cares. The telecom provides continued support to the organisation for its fundraising campaigns and awareness programmes.

Under the umbrella of its Corporate Social Responsibility, du nurtures the very fabric that creates the unique culture of the UAE. It does this by supporting social activities, education, providing assistance to entrepreneurs and promoting local heritage and culture. du was the first telecommunications company in the region to launch a Sustainable Development report, released in October 2011, in which the full extent of its CSR activities are mapped.