DM sends 200 refurbished PCs for Gaza children

Dubai Municipality has handed over 200 used computers after refurbishing them to the Red Crescent in order to distribute them among the children of Gaza. The move is part of the "Gaza Children…Our Children" campaign taken up by the civic body.
The PCs were handed over at a ceremony, held at the DM PC Refurbishment Centre in the Muhaisina area, which was attended by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, Mohammed Abdullah Al Haj Al Zarouni, Director General of Red Crescent, Dubai Chapter, Mohammed AbdulKareem Julfar, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality for Corporate Support Services Sector, Eng. Hamdan Al Shaer, Director of Environment Department and a number of officials from the Municipality.
Stressing on the importance of the PC Refurbishment project, Lootah said it helps realize the vision of the higher leadership to spread the e-culture in the society and create a technically capable society that can keep pace with the changes of the external environment.
"This project works by receiving contributions of old and used PCs and their attachments from individuals, establishments, government departments and private sector establishments. These PCs are repaired and refurbished and later distributed to different categories of people who are in need of them. It is aimed at developing their technical skills and helping them achieve their tasks in a more effective way by using computers," he said.
"The project also aims at protecting the environment from negative impacts that occur when people dispose off these equipments in an improper way. It will also support the efforts of the government bodies in treating the negative results of the disposal of these equipments," said Lootah.
"We are happy to have any active participation from different bodies, whether they are individuals or establishments, government or private, as these participations will become a good build up for charity work," he said.
Lootah said the support to Gaza children comes as part of the care taken by the Municipality within the framework of its social responsibility towards the needy categories, whether it is inside the country or abroad.
He said that this initiative will contribute in drawing smiles on the faces of Palestinian children in their schools.
Mohammed Abdullah Al Haj Al Zarouni said the humanitarian initiative of Dubai Municipality is highly significant. "This move goes along with the constant relief work to the Gaza sector. The efforts of the Municipality to re-qualify the educational sector will get the cooperation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the UNICEF.
Al Zarouni expressed his happiness over the cooperation of Dubai Municipality in supporting the humanitarian cause. He hoped that the children of Gaza will benefit from this benevolence.
Al Zarouni also handed over the Red Crescent memento to Lootah as an appreciation of the Municipality's support.
The DM PC Refurbishment Centre has so far refurbished 5,000 PCs that were handed over to a number of establishments and organizations inside the country and abroad such as the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia); National Youth Federation, Sudan; Al Aweer Health Centre, Dubai; Centre for Special Needs People, Ras Al Khaimah; Al Sahabah Centre for Quran Memorisation, Dubai; Abu Baker Siddique Centre, Dubai; Summer Camp, Dubai Police; Al Ihsan Charity Centre, Ajman; Al Qadharif Digital City Organisation for Special Needs People, Sudan and Zayed Orphanage, Afghanistan.
The DM PC Refurbishment Centre has a website called www.pcrecycle.ae, which provides all information and data regarding the project. It also has a call centre to receive enquiries about contributions from individuals and organisations. The call centre can be accessed through the toll-free number 800900. In order to hand over the used computers individuals and organisations can also go directly to the PC Refurbishment Centre, which is situated in Muhaisina, near Tasjeel. PCs can also be handed over to the Municipality branch centres at Karama, Umm Suqeim, Al Twar and Hatta.
The PC Refurbishment Centre also attracts a lot of students from schools, colleges, universities and other institutions, who are interested in the PC refurbishment operations. These students are given training under the Municipality's summer training programme.
The Centre also coordinates with international centres for PC refurbishment and maintains partnership relationships with them by applying best practices and making the Centre one of the international centres for PC refurbishment. The Centre also coordinates with the Ministry of Government Sector Development to contribute in the efforts of the country in participating the projects and programmes of the UN for humanitarian services.