Thousands benefit from Dubai Cares’ literacy programme in Sri Lanka

DUBAI // More than 40 schools and 8,500 children have benefited from Dubai Cares’ two-year literacy programme to support underdeveloped districts in Sri Lanka.

Dubai Cares, which is part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, in partnership with Save the Children, has directly supported the learning and development of more than 8,587 children, 10,000 indirectly and 370 teachers, who received specialist literacy skills development training.

Tariq Al Gurg, chief executive of Dubai Cares, who led the Sri Lanka visit, said people there were very supportive of the initiative.

“Teachers, students, parents and government figures have fully embraced the importance of education in the growth and development of the country and they have worked tirelessly since the programme began in 2013 to ensure that Sri Lankan children will have a better start in life,” he said.

“The sustainable literacy framework that has been created will greatly improve the career prospects of future generations of Sri Lankan children.”

The programme aimed to achieve three objectives, beginning with equipping teachers with the knowledge to create a supportive and inclusive environment for children to improve their reading skills.