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Volunteering has an important value in UAE, Sheikha Fatima

ABU DHABI - HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Chairperson of the UAE General Women’s Union, stated that voluntary work in UAE has an important position at the institutional and individual level.

She said this in a speech on the occasion of launching the 2^nd Emirates Conference on Volunteering and the Gulf Volunteering, that was given, on her behalf by HE Ali Salem Al Kaabi, Director of the Office of the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Family Development Foundation (FDF), with the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Sheikha Fatima said that the wise leadership of the country gives profound attention to volunteering based on the traditional values established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. She reiterated that UAE became a leading country in supporting those who are in need based on its voluntary institutions.

She pointed out that not only men have helped in the volunteering work, but also women who proved their ability to volunteer and have participated in a number of volunteering work outside the country, such as, supporting refugees in Kosovo, children in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan.

She stressed the importance of bringing children up in a moral and social way, referring to the part played by the family and school in heightening values of sacrifice and developing teamwork goals.

She referred to the Sheikh Zayed Charity initiative that was launched in 2003 and initiated a program for attracting one million volunteers from all segments of the society. The program also launched an initiative with an aim of attracting about 100 million Arab and African volunteers under the umbrella of the voluntary work. The Zayed Charity initiative also implements free preventive, surgical and treatment programs for heart patients and those who are in need for medical treatment.

This initiative came in line with the repeated Emirates Health initiatives that benefitted millions of sick people worldwide.

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