Ikea UAE has announced the launch of its annual Soft Toys for Education campaign designed to help improve the lives of children less fortunate across the world.
As a part of this campaign, for every soft toy sold in the Dubai Festival City and Yas Island stores between November 10, 2013 and January 4, 2014 Ikea Foundation will donate Dh5 to help support Unicef's education programmes around the world.
Bringing it closer to home, Ikea UAE has partnered with The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood to create an added channel for charity. Customers at Ikea will be urged to drop the soft toys they buy into a special donation box located after the store checkout, to be distributed to under-privileged children within the UAE.
The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood has worked extensively in the areas of combating violence against children, child trafficking and child sexual abuse including promulgation of the Law on the Rights of the Child.
Bringing it closer to home, Ikea UAE has partnered with The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood to create an added channel for charity. Customers at Ikea will be urged to drop the soft toys they buy into a special donation box located after the store checkout, to be distributed to under-privileged children within the UAE. The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood has worked extensively in the areas of combating violence against children, child trafficking and child sexual abuse including promulgation of the Law on the Rights of the Child.
Launched in 2003, the Soft Toys for Education campaign has so far benefitted over 10 million children globally. It has supported over 90 projects in 46 countries worldwide. The campaign raised €57 million in total over the last 10 years and €9.3 million in 2012 alone.
John Kersten, Managing Director, Ikea UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman said: "Ikea believes children are the most important people in the world. Education is the most powerful and effective way to help children escape poverty. The change it can bring to a young life is immense. In collaboration with our global partner Unicef, the Soft Toys for Education campaign is our attempt at offering this change by urging customers to bring a smile to the faces of children worldwide. This year, we are pleased to partner with The Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood and we appeal to our customers to donate their Ikea Soft Toys for children in their immediate surroundings."
Dr. Ibrahim El-Ziq, Gulf Area Representative, Unicef said: "Ikea and Unicef have partnered successfully for over a decade and we are very happy to take this relationship forward in 2013. The Soft Toys for Education campaign has made a significant difference in the lives of millions of children in 37 Unicef supported countries. We hope to continue building on this success in the future."
Dr. Mohamed Ebrahim Al Mansoor, The Supreme Council of Motherhood and Childhood, said: "We are happy to partner with Ikea to make their global campaign more locally relevant. There is a lot of work to be done within UAE and we hope customers at Ikea will be generous with offering their help to children in need. The Soft Toys campaign has been a global success in the past and we hope to continue this trend within the UAE as well."
© Emirates 24|7 2013
