During an official humanitarian tour of Egypt
Jawaher Al Qasimi visits Ahl Masr Burns Hospital & reaffirms support for Misr El Kheir Foundation
Jawaher Al Qasimi: TBHF’s initiatives in Egypt are a proof and continuation of the enduring friendship between the UAE and Egypt.
Cairo, Egypt, January 16, 2023
Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Sharjah-based global humanitarian organisation, The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), recently visited Egypt where HH held meetings with officials overseeing various educational, health and development institutions that work in collaboration with TBHF.
Sheikha Jawaher’s visit reaffirms Egypt’s distinguished position in the Arab renaissance and its rich cultural landscape. During her discussions with the institutions’ administrations and staff, Her Highness explored future plans necessary to develop them and increase their efficiency to better serve the Egyptian society.
During her discussions with delegations and representatives of the respective Egyptian institutions, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi noted that for centuries, Egypt has served as the vibrant heart of the Arab world’s progress across sectors, and continues to do so in the present day.
Her Highness described the people of Egypt as exemplars of benevolence and solidarity, and deeply appreciated the nation’s longstanding commitment to offer the strongest support to fraternal nations in the Arab region. TBHF’s initiatives in Egypt, Her Highness opined, are a proof and continuation of the enduring friendship between the UAE and Egypt.
On the first leg of her visit, Her Highness visited the Ahl Masr Burns Hospital where she met with Dr. Heba El Sewedy, Founder and Chairwoman of Ahl Masr Foundation, and toured the various departments and facilities, gaining insights into the advanced equipment and services available. Notably, Her Highness received a detailed briefing on the ‘Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi Magnetic Resonance Unit’, a facility built fully through a US$272,000 (approx. AED 999,000) funding by TBHF.
In her discussions with hospital’s administration officials and medical staff, Sheikha Jawaher expressed admiration for the meticulously selected advanced equipment that caters to the needs of patients. Her Highness commended the hospital’s pioneering concept to provide free treatment and advanced medical care to all Egyptians.
Addressing the medical staff at Ahl Masr Burn Hospital, Her Highness said: “The community minded ethos reflected in the hospital’s treatment programme is no less than medication and the treatments offered here”, underscoring that patients, especially burn victims, require not just not just medical treatment, but deeper attention, care and emotional support for complete recovery and reintegration in society.
Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi engaged with a group of burn victims, attentively listening to their comments and suggestions on measures to prevent such incidents. TBHF Chairperson spoke about the organisation’s upcoming initiatives, and outlined the organisation’s strategic future plans to bolster support for the hospital as well as strengthen and diversify the ongoing partnership with Ahl Masr Foundation, which is responsible for managing the hospital and delivering free medical services to those in need.
Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi acknowledged that this support extended by TBHF was modest compared to the generosity and warmth of the Egyptian people, and likened these attributes to the best form of treatment and support for the local community. Underlining the need for close collaboration among philanthropic organisations as key to achieving shared humanitarian goals, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher highlighted TBHF’s unwavering commitment to expanding its impact and reaching a broader spectrum of beneficiaries worldwide.
Heba El Sewedy expressed gratitude for the support extended by TBHF, emphasising its substantial contribution to the seamless integration of facilities and services. She highlighted that the generous gestures of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi epitomise solidarity and cooperation among Arab communities, further solidifying sustainable relations in the region.
Jawaher Al Qasimi visits The Big Heart Primary School
During her visit, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher met with a delegation from the Misr El Kheir Foundation, gaining insights into The Big Heart Primary School situated in Marsa Matrouh – a project supported and funded by TBHF, valued at US$607,700 (approx. AED 2.2 million). The school, equipped with cutting-edge facilities and services, delivers modern educational services spanning the kindergarten, primary, and preparatory stages. It boasts dedicated playgrounds for children, various sports facilities, and incorporates smart screens to enhance the learning experience.
During the meeting, Her Highness was offered a comprehensive explanation from the Foundation’s delegation about the significant educational impact of the school on children and youth in Marsa Matrouh. The delegation conveyed the accolades of teachers, students and parents, who initially anticipated that TBHF project was only aimed to modernise the school, and then discovered an entirely new school that is being envisioned to become amongst the most sophisticated and equipped schools in the community.
Her Highness discussed plans for developing the school, including the addition of a secondary education, if required. Emphasising the transformative impact of education on advancing societies and its role in fostering equality and justice, Sheikha Jawaher underscored that every Arab youth equipped with science and knowledge serves as an invaluable asset for the nation, guaranteeing its future and prosperity.
The Big Heart School stands as a true embodiment of Her Highness’s unwavering commitment to tracking the progress of Arab generations, both young men and women, and to making education the cornerstone of societal empowerment and national development.
Success stories of women employed by TBHF-funded garment factory in upper Egypt
Her Highness also helmed a meeting between TBHF delegation and a group of women who work at the Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Factory for Kids Wear, established by TBHF in Upper Egypt, in collaboration with the Egypt Network for Integrated Development (ENID), affiliated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Egyptian partner of the factory project. The meeting served as an opportunity to discuss the ongoing initiatives and the positive impact of the project on the lives of the women involved.
Sheikha Jawaher was offered a comprehensive briefing about the factory’s products, future plans for quality development, enhanced production efficiency, and the expansion of operational capacity to generate more employment opportunities for women and girls. The ready-made garment factory stands as a groundbreaking initiative, being the first project entirely managed and operated by girls and women from Upper Egypt.
Sheikha Jawaher underscored that her dedication to empowering girls and women is grounded in her belief that women constitute a pillar of healthy societies. Her Highness stressed that paying more attention and focus on women is evident in all walks of life.
The Big Heart Foundation has launched the Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Factory in Upper Egypt at a total cost of US$605,000 (approx. AED 2.2 million) The project, implemented by Egypt Network for Integrated Development (ENID), under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), spreads across a 500-metre square area.
Located in close proximity to women’s homes in the Upper Egyptian District of Qena Governorate, the project aims to create 142 direct jobs for women and youth as well as 284 indirect jobs in the RMG sector, with the total number of beneficiaries on the community level is estimated at 2,130.
Sheikha Jawaher focuses on boosting paediatric medical care in Egypt
Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi met with the team of the Magdi Yacoub Hospital and listened to a detailed explanation about the hospital’s facilities, its capacity and future needs.
Sheikha Jawaher had earlier directed TBHF to allocate US$4 million (approx. AED 14.6 million) to build and fully equip the ‘Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi Unit’ for Pediatric Intensive Care at the Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre in Cairo, with a capacity of approximately 2,000 children annually.
The Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre is one of the biggest healthcare and research entities for the treatment of cardiac and cardiovascular diseases in the Arab world. The centre provides free cardiovascular surgeries and catheterizations.
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