DUBAI: The Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF) organised an Umrah (Islamic pilgrimage) trip for a group of more than 40 minors, mothers, and Foundation officials.

In line with the declaration of 2018 as the Year of Zayed by the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the initiative aimed to contribute to fulfilling the vision of the founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to provide a nurturing environment for orphans through developing the alternative family care system.

The Foundation has organised multiple Umrah trips for minors under its care as part of its annual plan for the past nine years. The latest seven-day trip comprised visits to the holy Islamic sites of Makkah and Medina, as well as guided tours of historical landmarks in the vicinity.

The AMAF’s Minors’ Affairs Department chose ‘Beraan Bewalidaty’ as the slogan for this year trip to symbolise children’s love and appreciation towards their mothers. Ahead of the departure, the Foundation held a lecture on the crucial role of parents and caregivers in ensuring children’s physical and mental well-being, and on the importance of respecting them.

Tayeb Al-Rais, Secretary General of AMAF, said: “Through its programmes and initiatives, AMAF seeks to instil the right values in orphans under its care that make them good Muslims and upstanding members of society. In addition, the Foundation seeks to develop orphans’ relations with their mothers in order to strengthen their sense of belonging as well as their sense of responsibility towards their families, community, and homeland.”