On behalf of Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), His Excellency Tayeb Abdul Rahman Al-Rais, Secretary General, AMAF today handed over a cheque for AED741,000 to the SOS Children’s Village International for the maintenance of buildings of SOS Children’s Village in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Honoring the will of AMAF’s dedicated endower Ahmed Baghlaf, the allocation also demonstrated the Foundation’s commitment to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) ratified by AMAF and SOS Children’s Village International in November 2014.

Her Excellency Nicole Nassar, Director-General of the Office of SOS Children’s Villages International in the Arabian Gulf, received the cheque at the AMAF headquarters in Dubai, in the presence of several managers and officials from the two entities.

The donated amount will be wholly dedicated to the maintenance and restoration of buildings of SOS Children’s Village located in the Jordanian capital Amman. The organization provides family-based care to a large number of children who have lost one or both parents, and works continually to implement support and empowerment programs for the orphaned children in order to fulfil their varied development needs.

His Excellency Tayeb Abdul Rahman Al-Rais said: “As part of our routine operations at Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation, we work to execute the wills of several dedicated endowers from among the business community as well as philanthropists who have devoted part of their money for endowment projects. We are pleased to contribute this sum as per the will of endower Ahmed Baghlaf to SOS Children’s Village International that has significant experience in working with orphaned children and fulfilling their day to day requirements in addition to improving their living conditions.

Al Rais added: “Previously, we have collaborated with the organization to train several of our care-givers/ ’mothers’ working at AMAF’s Family Village in Dubai in order to achieve our objectives of protection, empowerment and quality care for our children at the village.”

Al-Rais stressed that the organization is keen to leverage the endowment donation, to promote values of humanitarianism and solidarity among various social groups. He also hoped such efforts would strengthen cooperation between different institutions, organizations and entities in order to ensure greater attention to the orphaned children, to help them evolve into capable and productive individuals who will proactively serve their communities and countries.

For her part, Her Excellency Nicole Nassar said: “For several years, the SOS Children’s Village International in Jordan has been in dire need of repair and maintenance works. We thank the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation for their commitment to our long-standing partnership, and for driving our shared vision to contribute in ensuring that each child enjoys a happy childhood with a loving family in a safe home. We thank them specifically for this financial assistance that will help us carry out the necessary repair and restoration works of our facilities in Jordan. Our children, young people, and staff are extremely grateful, excited and very happy.”

Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation works to manage and develop endowment funds through investing them efficiently and leveraging investment proceeds according to a carefully prepared plan. AMAF cares for minors and handles their money through making sound investments on their behalf. The Foundation provides them with social care and empowerment. To achieve its goals, AMAF runs several projects – most notably its Family Village – a fully dedicated community orphanage and the first of its kind in the region, as well as the salma Humanitarian Relief program – that aims to provide a million Halal meals to disaster victims around the world.

The plans to open SOS Children’s Villages in Jordan followed a meeting in 1982 between Her Majesty Queen Noor Al-Hussein of Jordan, Bruno Kreisky, former Austrian Chancellor, and Hermann Gmeiner, founder of SOS Children’s Villages. In 1987, under the patronage of His Majesty King Hussein and Her Majesty Queen Noor Al-Hussein, the SOS Children’s Village Amman opened doors to children in need. It is today a loving home for hundreds of children who have been orphaned or abandoned.

Notably, SOS Children’s Village in Amman is one of three such facilities run by SOS Children’s Villages in Jordon in addition to 560 children’s villages around the world where orphaned children receive family care, warmth and family love.

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