UNICEF welcomes Al Abdulla Family’s US$483,000 contribution to support Early Childhood Development in Mongolia

Dubai/ Ulaanbaatar, 15 August 2022 - UNICEF welcomes Al Abdulla Family’s contribution of US$483,000 to increase the access of vulnerable children in Mongolia to Early Childhood Development Program ‘ECD’ and pre-school services.

“The first 1,000 days of life have a profound effect on children’s brain development, physical and mental well-being and, by extension, on the future of children and their communities,” said Eltayeb Adam, UNICEF Representative to the Gulf Area. “The donation of Al Abdulla Family to UNICEF’s Early Childhood Development program in Mongolia will unlock the potential of children there through equal access to pre-school, health and development services.”

“As a staunch advocate of philanthropic works, which is deeply rooted in our family, we are keen on supporting humanitarian causes especially related to the development of the young generation. I believe that early childhood development has a tremendous impact on the grassroots level and country. With our aim to uplift and help the most vulnerable children in Mongolia, I believe that nurturing young minds from early childhood by providing them with the best opportunities will help improve their skills and quality of life. I want to encourage more donors in the UAE and GCC region to take part in the UNICEF ECD program and address these challenges in developing countries, like Mongolia,” says Abdulla Al Abdulla, Group CEO of Central Hotels.

”I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Al Abdulla Family on behalf of UNICEF Mongolia for its generous contribution made in support of early childhood development (ECD) of the most vulnerable children in Mongolia. Investment in ECD, the most cost-effective equaliser to break the cycle of inequity, is an investment in the foundation of human capital. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcomes for the child and the prosperity and sustainability of a society as a whole. I’m pleased to note that ECD is in line with Mongolia’s Vision-2050, the government’s long term development strategy,” says Evariste Kouassi-Komlan, UNICEF Representative in Mongolia.

UNICEF Mongolia’s ECD program aims to reach to 35,000 children in 2022 and 2023 with access to preschools services in five areas including Bayanzurkh district, a poorer peri-urban area of Ulaanbaatar city, and the remote Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Zavkhan and Umnugobi provinces.

Additionally, the program aims to support capacity development at the local level by fostering awareness among parents and caregivers about the critical early years in children’s lives, renovating old early-learning centres with water and sanitation facilities and ventilation systems to improve the learning environment, and promoting the implementation of family-friendly policies in the workplace, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding, and access to quality childcare.