ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 02nd Mar, 2020) H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, GWU, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, FDF, who is also the Honorary President of the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, has donated AED6 million to support this year's Ataya (giving in Arabic) exhibition.
The charity exhibition is organised by the ERC at the Mubadala Arena, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Assistant to the Chairman of the ERC for Women’s Affairs and Head of the Higher Committee of the Ataya initiative, who is the wife of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the ERC. Sheikha Shamsa also donated AED2 million to the exhibition.
The proceeds this year’s exhibition, which will run until 5th March, will be allocated to treating children with congenital anomalies caused by the consequences of wars and conflicts, as well as genetic causes.
Sheikha Shamsa praised Sheikha Fatima’s support for the exhibition, stating, "Sheikha Fatima is one of the greatest advocates of motherhood and childhood issues around the world, and has launched related pioneering initiatives, which have achieved many humanitarian and developmental benefits for children facing considerable humanitarian challenges, especially in conflict and disaster areas."
Sheikha Shamsa also pointed out that the exhibition, which is one of the ERC’s initiatives, aims to improve the lives of people and realise their dreams of a decent life, by providing the necessary services.
"The initiative established strong alliances to address the humanitarian challenges that concern many human societies. Therefore, this initiative has gathered under its umbrella many institutions and companies from both inside and outside the country, combined into a single platform for promoting social responsibility in all sectors," she added.
She also noted the initiative is as a natural response to the current reality experienced by many people suffering from stress and difficulty.
Sheikha Shamsa stressed that the annual exhibition aims to explore wider areas of giving for humanity, as well as to gain new partners in supporting social development in friendly countries, which is made possible by the response of donors and supporters, in solidarity with the people targeted by the initiative's activities.
In 2019, Ataya established a hospital in Sharjah, aimed at strengthening the role of the local community with its health services. The Ataya Hospital will provide free medical treatment to all patients with health cards that do not cover the cost of treatment and medicines for chronic diseases.
An estimated 303,000 newborns die within 4 weeks of birth every year worldwide due to congenital anomalies. The most common severe congenital anomalies are heart defects, neural tube defects and Down syndrome.
