Dubai Cares has pledged Dh2,938,800 ($800,000) to support the publishing industry in Africa over a four year period.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the International Publishers Association (IPA) on Monday and the money will be put towards building and supporting the publishing industry and creating “cultures of reading” across Africa. Kenya and Morocco will be the first two countries to benefit from this initiative, with further plans to be announced soon.
The MoU was signed by Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Vice President of the IPA, and His Excellency Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.
“Because it influences education, reading, and socio-cultural development, publishing can have a transformative impact on countries and individuals and serve as a tool to address challenges such as illiteracy, poverty, conflict, inequality, and unemployment,” said Sheikha Bodour. “For this reason, IPA launched its Africa Regional Seminars series [a continent-wide creative thinking platform] last year. Our work in Africa is based on quickly moving from words to action, and Dubai Cares is one of the most agile, responsive partners we could hope to partner with.
“IPA and Dubai Cares will be working with a range of on-the-ground partners, including publishers, policymakers, and civil society, to implement innovative, replicable solutions to transform the future of African publishing.”
Al Gurg added: “Africa and the Arab World both have young, increasingly digitally connected populations. The publishing industry has significant potential to contribute to sustainable development.
“In supporting the development of national reading cultures, strengthening the publishing industry often has a significant impact on socio-economic development. Reading, for example, broadens people’s imagination and opens minds to new possibilities and innovative ideas. Through this partnership, we will work with the IPA and local implementing partners on tough, systemic challenges, such as textbook shortages and rural literacy.”
Dubai Cares provides children and young people in developing countries with access to quality education through the design and funding of programs that aim to be integrated, impactful, sustainable and scalable. The UAE-based organisation has launched education programs reaching over 18 million beneficiaries in 57 developing countries. It has distributed over 6.6 million books written in local languages.
