Dubai, United Arab Emirates; October 26, 2014: Dubai-based charity Maria Cristina Foundation (MCF) is in need of caring host families to open their homes - and their hearts - to their scholars currently studying in the city. The foundation, whose focus is to provide quality education to children from the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh has been fighting poverty since 2005. The founder, Maria Conceicao, has a vision that if it was possible to provide underprivileged children with a good education then it should be possible to eventually elevate whole families out of the poverty trap. In 2010, MCF brought the top five children, those with the most promising potential, to the UAE for education. This was a pilot project geared toward expanding the horizons of several children from the small community in Dhaka and, in so doing, expanding the whole community’s understanding of what is possible. “These kids have been under our programme for the last nine years and we have seen how much progress they have achieved. They are doing very well and we owe a big part of their success to the kindness of the people who’ve been caring for them like their own family. Our host families have played a big role in shaping the lives of our scholars and helping them fulfil their ambitions. Some of them though are going back to their home countries soon so we are in need of more potential foster families who could provide our children a home away from home,” Maria said. One of the MCF scholars needing a new home is Milon Hossain, a bright 16-year-old boy who attends Gems Wellington Academy in Dubai. His was such an inspiring story that he was given an opportunity to speak at a reception in his school attended by Bill Clinton. The former US President was so impressed by Milon that he sent a personal letter of recognition and appreciation to the boy after the event. Asked to narrate his journey with the foundation, Milon said, “It was at the end of 2005 when I first met Maria when I was 7 years old. I didn’t know what education and studies were until the day I saw students who were wearing the same clothing and I thought a new factory had opened, so I approached them and asked them what their new job was, which is when they told me about Maria’s school. I realized how cool it would be to be a student but unfortunately my parents couldn’t afford to send me. I was lucky enough to join Maria’s school in Dhaka where I started my 1st Grade. I was chosen to come here out of 600 other kids in Dhaka because of my effort, punctuality, curiosity and showing determination for education. I am really grateful that now I go to Gems Wellington Academy as I have been given opportunities I would never had experienced if I was still in Bangladesh. Now, I aim for higher things in life like being a Technology Designer/Inventor, Astronaut, or being one of the most important scientists in the world. This is my fourth year in the UAE and honestly, I believe I have learnt 10,000 times more than I learnt in my life before. Education has been an addiction to me.” The foundation assures that host families are provided full support when they take in kids to live with them. “We still take care of the children’s educational needs and other relevant provisions. When we get caring families interested in sharing their homes with our kids, the most that we ask from them is to provide these kids all the nurturing, guidance, love and support as if they are their own kids. If you find it in your hear to open your homes to these kids, you will know how wonderful an experience it could be,” Maria explained. To know more about how to become an MCF host family, visit www.facebook.com/MariaCristinaFoundation and www.mariacristinafoundation.org.
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