Dubai Holding, a Dubai-based global company committed to the emirate’s socio-economic growth, on Saturday announced the completion of two new schools, one in Nepal and one in Senegal, which are currently in operation and have enrolled over 550 local children.

This initiative was completed, in partnership with Dubai Cares, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, which aims to improve children’s access to quality education in underprivileged communities around the world.

Located in the villages of Dhakka in Nepal and Kaffrine 2 Sud in Senegal, the schools provide fully equipped three-classrooms for children aged between six and 14. More than 400 boys and girls are enrolled in the Dhaka school, and more than 100 are enrolled in the Kaffrine 2 Sud school, with nearly 20 teachers employed to teach primary school classes.

As a sponsor of the schools, Dubai Holding’s donation provided the engineering and building materials and skilled labour force to work on the land provided by the villages, supervising each task from start to completion.

Officials from these villages were asked to sign a pledge to send girls and boys to school in equal numbers. According to the latest statistics from the CIA World Factbook, the national adult literacy rate in Nepal is just over 50 percent, while in Senegal only 62 percent of men and 39 percent of women can read and write.

With the support received from Dubai Holding, the programme will continue to work with the Dhakka and Kaffrine 2 Sud communities to identify out-of-school children and drive enrolment, while collaborating with the local ministry of education on the expansion of facilities.

Regarding the programme, Amit Kaushal, CEO of Dubai Holding, said, "We are delighted to have delivered on our first long-term international commitment, impacting not just individuals, but also their families and their entire community. What makes this initiative in Nepal and Senegal extremely special for Dubai Holding is that we are helping to ensure the basic human right to education, one of the most effective tools to break the cycle of poverty. Our schools help both countries increase literacy rates, one community at a time.

Discussing the new schools, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, said, "The building of two new schools represents a new chapter in the lives of many children and opens a door of hope for them to prosper in the future. The generosity of long-standing donors, like Dubai Holding, emphasises a genuine commitment to corporate social responsibility and a firm belief in the transformative power of education."