UAE Commits US$60M to Support Visually Impaired Students in Ethiopia News Desk - 15/02/2025 ShareUnder the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has announced a new US$60 million (AED220 million) initiative aimed at developing schools to support the educational needs of visually impaired students in Ethiopia. This project will be spearheaded by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, a key entity of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, in collaboration with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.The initiative builds upon the success of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak School for the Blind in Addis Ababa, inaugurated in May 2024. The agreement was signed by Mohamed Haji AlKhoori, Director-General of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, in the presence of Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State and member of the Board of Trustees of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, and Zinash Tayachew, First Lady of Ethiopia.With approximately 1.2 million visually impaired individuals in Ethiopia, including 332,000 classified as blind, this initiative will provide crucial support, especially in rural areas with limited access to educational and healthcare services. Ethiopia also faces high rates of trachoma, a preventable eye disease, which disproportionately affects underserved communities.The new schools, supported by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, will serve as centres of excellence by integrating cutting-edge assistive technologies, specialised curricula, and vocational programmes designed to help visually impaired students achieve higher education and integrate into the workforce.H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, emphasized the UAE's dedication to supporting people of determination worldwide. He stated, 'This initiative reflects our shared commitment with Ethiopia to ensure everyone, regardless of challenges, can thrive in an inclusive and equitable society.'Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan added, 'This partnership underscores our commitment to uplifting communities and expanding access to essential services, creating opportunities for sustainable growth and prosperity.'First Lady Zinash Tayachew expressed gratitude for the UAE's continued support in helping ensure quality education for all Ethiopian citizens, regardless of ability, and promoting a more inclusive society.Mohamed Haji AlKhoori reaffirmed the importance of education as a fundamental right, highlighting the transformative potential of global partnerships to create lasting impact and empower future generations.Along with the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak School for the Blind, the newly announced schools will form a comprehensive network across Ethiopia, expanding access to inclusive education and ensuring that visually impaired students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed and contribute to society.The UAE's commitment to strengthening Ethiopia's educational infrastructure is set to make a significant difference in the lives of visually impaired students, providing them with the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential.
Under the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE has announced a new US$60 million (AED220 million) initiative aimed at developing schools to support the educational needs of visually impaired students in Ethiopia. This project will be spearheaded by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, a key entity of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, in collaboration with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The initiative builds upon the success of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak School for the Blind in Addis Ababa, inaugurated in May 2024. The agreement was signed by Mohamed Haji AlKhoori, Director-General of the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, in the presence of Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State and member of the Board of Trustees of Erth Zayed Philanthropies, and Zinash Tayachew, First Lady of Ethiopia.
With approximately 1.2 million visually impaired individuals in Ethiopia, including 332,000 classified as blind, this initiative will provide crucial support, especially in rural areas with limited access to educational and healthcare services. Ethiopia also faces high rates of trachoma, a preventable eye disease, which disproportionately affects underserved communities.
The new schools, supported by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, will serve as centres of excellence by integrating cutting-edge assistive technologies, specialised curricula, and vocational programmes designed to help visually impaired students achieve higher education and integrate into the workforce.
H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, emphasized the UAE's dedication to supporting people of determination worldwide. He stated, 'This initiative reflects our shared commitment with Ethiopia to ensure everyone, regardless of challenges, can thrive in an inclusive and equitable society.'
Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan added, 'This partnership underscores our commitment to uplifting communities and expanding access to essential services, creating opportunities for sustainable growth and prosperity.'
First Lady Zinash Tayachew expressed gratitude for the UAE's continued support in helping ensure quality education for all Ethiopian citizens, regardless of ability, and promoting a more inclusive society.
Mohamed Haji AlKhoori reaffirmed the importance of education as a fundamental right, highlighting the transformative potential of global partnerships to create lasting impact and empower future generations.
Along with the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak School for the Blind, the newly announced schools will form a comprehensive network across Ethiopia, expanding access to inclusive education and ensuring that visually impaired students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed and contribute to society.
The UAE's commitment to strengthening Ethiopia's educational infrastructure is set to make a significant difference in the lives of visually impaired students, providing them with the tools and opportunities to reach their full potential.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Crypto Insight
8 hours ago
- Crypto Insight
Bitcoin and Ether ETFs post $40B volume in ‘biggest week ever'
US-based spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) just logged their strongest week of combined trading volume yet, according to an ETF analyst. 'Biggest week ever for them, thanks to Ether ETFs stepping up big,' ETF analyst Eric Balchunas said in an X post on Friday. Ether ETFs were 'asleep' for 11 months, says Balchunas 'Ether ETFs' weekly volume was about $17b, blowing away record, man did it wake up in July,' Balchunas said. It came the same week Bitcoin reached a new all-time high of $124,000 on Thursday, while Ether came close to reclaiming its November 2021 high of $4,878 on the same day, reaching $4,784 — just 1.94% below — according to CoinMarketCap. Since Thursday, Bitcoin has fallen 5.52% from its all-time high, trading at $117,659, while Ether has dropped 6.20% from its Thursday high, trading at $4,486. However, MN Trading Capital founder Michael van de Poppe said, 'There's way more to come for this cycle.' Ether ETFs take a sharp turn On Monday, spot Ether ETFs recorded their biggest day of net inflows ever, with flows across all funds totalling $1.01 billion. Across the first two weeks of August, they've recorded more than $3 billion in net inflows marking their second-strongest monthly performance to date. Balchunas said it was almost as if Ether ETFs were 'asleep' for the past 11 months and 'then crammed' one year's worth of activity into six weeks. While there was excitement ahead of their July 2024 launch, Ether ETFs initially saw lackluster demand, sparking speculation that Wall Street had yet to find a clear use case for the asset. Meanwhile, Bitcoin ETFs reached new highs of $73,679 just two months after launching in January 2024. Analysts are now drawing parallels between Ether's recent price surge and Bitcoin's post-ETF rally. 'This move is comparable to the BTC ETF launch, when Bitcoin continued to rally upward,' van de Poppe said, adding, 'The ETFs have a massive impact and there's a lot to come for Altcoins.' However, some analysts warn that investors must be patient before Ether reaches a new all-time high. Nansen analyst Jake Kennis said in comments shared with Cointelegraph that a new all-time high for Ether may be weeks or months away, despite ETH currently sitting only a few hundred dollars off a new record price. Source:
The National
10 hours ago
- The National
Oil prices fall more than 1% amid Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
Oil prices fell by more than 1 per cent to end the week lower as leaders of the US and Russia held a meeting in Alaska to end the Ukraine war that has shaken oil markets for more than three years with supply concerns. Brent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's oil, settled 1.48 per cent lower at $65.85 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate – the gauge that tracks US crude – was down 1.81 per cent at $62.8 a barrel. For the week, Brent dropped 1.1 per cent, while WTI eased 1.7 per cent. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met in Alaska on Friday to hold discussions to end Ukraine war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and disrupted global financial and commodity markets. However, the summit ended without a ceasefire deal but Mr Trump described his meeting with his Russian counterpart as 'productive', adding that they 'really made some great progress' on ending the war. 'There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say, a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there, but we've made some headway,' Mr Trump told reporters. 'I've always had a fantastic relationship with President Putin, with Vladimir.' Mr Trump offered no further details of their discussions in an interview with Fox News after the meeting, but raised the possibility of another summit that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensk yy. "While there was no ceasefire, US President Trump made also clear that he doesn't plan to penalise the largest buyer of Russian oil, China," Giovanni Staunovo, a strategist at Swiss bank UBS told The National. "I guess market participants will today track comments from European leaders, but for now Russian supply disruption risks will remain contained." Oil markets were heavily affected after war broke out between Russia and Ukraine more than three years ago. Oil prices surged to $140 a barrel in March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions by the US and the UK on the import of crude from Moscow. However, prices fell in the subsequent months, amid a number of factors impacting markets, including concerns of a global economic slowdown, high inflation and a China slowdown. A ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia could have a bearish effect on oil markets as more Russian oil could flow into global markets if sanctions are eased on Moscow. However, if the peace agreement is not reached between the two countries, it will support oil prices by limiting Russian supply. 'US crude recently breached the $65 support and is consolidating in a medium-term bearish zone, where ample supply and cloudy demand argue for further downside – though a softer dollar is cushioning the slide,' said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank. Supply forecast for 2025 The International Energy Agency this week raised its forecast for oil supply growth this year following a decision by the Opec producer group to hike production and lowered its demand forecast due to lacklustre demand across the major economies. The IEA expects world oil supply to rise by about 370,000 barrels a day to 2.5 million barrels a day in 2025 and by 620,000 bpd to 1.9 million bpd in 2026, after the eight Opec members this month decided to raise production by another 547,000 bpd in September, fully unwinding the 2.2 million bpd cuts agreed to in November 2023. World oil demand will rise by 680,000 bpd this year, down from 700,000 bpd previously forecast, the Paris-based agency said. 'The latest data show lacklustre demand across the major economies and, with consumer confidence still depressed, a sharp rebound appears remote,' the Paris-based agency said. Consumption in emerging and developing economies has been weaker than expected, with China, Brazil, Egypt and India all revised down compared with last month's IEA report.
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Deal reached after Washington sues US President Trump over police takeover
The Justice Department reached an agreement on Friday (August 15) with Washington authorities over control of the US capital's police department after President Donald Trump placed it under federal government control to tackle violent crime. The deal was hammered out at a federal court hearing held after the District's attorney general sued the Trump administration over what he called a "hostile takeover" of the city's police force. Trump placed Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control on Monday and ordered the deployment of 800 National Guard troop s onto the streets of the capital. Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, then issued an order on Thursday (August 14) to install a hand-picked official — Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Terry Cole — as "emergency" police commissioner. Brian Schwalb, the attorney general for Washington, responded with a lawsuit arguing that federal law governing the capital "does not authorize this brazen usurpation of the District's authority." At the court hearing on Friday, District Judge Ana Reyes urged the two sides to work out a solution, and they agreed that Cole, rather than assuming direct control of the MPD, would give directives through the mayor's office. "Mr. Cole is not going to be able to direct police department individuals to do anything," Reyes said. "He's going to have to go through the mayor." Schwalb welcomed the agreement at a press conference following the court hearing. "My expectation is that the key issue with respect to control and command of our MPD has been resolved today, and that it is clear as a matter of law that it is under the chief of police appointed by the mayor," he said. "We don't need a hostile takeover from the federal government to do what we do every day," he said. Special status Unlike the 50 states, Washington operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters. Since the mid-1970s, the Home Rule Act has allowed residents to elect a mayor and a city council, although Congress still controls the city's budget. The overwhelmingly Democratic city faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged. But data from Washington police show significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge. Bowser said earlier this week that violent crime was "at its lowest level in 30 years." Trump has also said he wants to tackle homeless encampments, and move those sleeping in public "FAR from the Capital." Washington is ranked 15th on a list of major US cities by homeless population, according to government statistics from last year. On his Truth Social platform, Trump this week described Washington as "under siege from thugs and killers," with higher crime rates than "many of the most violent Third World Countries." But residents rejected that depiction. "It's totally false, and obviously promulgated on his media to justify an unwarranted exercise of federal power," 81-year-old Larry Janezich told AFP on Thursday.
