The Big Heart Foundation announced its 2026 Back to School Campaign on August 19, seeking to equip 3,000 students across Gaza, Egypt and Sharjah with the supplies and financial support required to begin or continue their studies. The initiative converts donations into tangible educational resources, ranging from complete school bags for children in Gaza and Egypt to full-year tuition coverage for pupils at the foundation’s educational centre in Sharjah. A UNICEF assessment released in November 2025 found that more than 97 percent of schools in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed, restricting face-to-face learning for most of the enclave’s 658,000 school-age children over the preceding two academic years.
Donations begin at AED 10, with set contribution levels that include AED 200 to outfit one student with a school bag and learning materials, AED 500 to cover one month of tuition at The Big Heart Educational Centre and AED 7,000 to fund an entire academic year. The foundation has organised a four-day volunteer activation from August 20 to 23 at City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah, where participants will pack notebooks, stationery and other essentials daily between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on the first floor near Home Centre. Organisers expect the hands-on event to engage families and organisations in directly preparing materials for distribution before the new academic year starts.
Several partners are facilitating different elements of the campaign, according to the foundation’s announcement. Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 is handling logistics for school supplies destined for Gaza, while Air Arabia is supporting shipments to Egypt. City Centre Al Zahia, operated by Majid Al Futtaim, has provided the venue for the packing activation as part of its community engagement activities.
In Gaza the supplies are intended to help children sustain their connection to learning despite ongoing conflict and infrastructure destruction that has limited classroom access for years. Students in Egypt will receive full school bags to improve their readiness for the academic term, building on the foundation’s established support for vulnerable families in the country. The Sharjah component channels funds to The Big Heart Educational Centre, which offers both academic and vocational programmes to young people from low-income resident households.
Mariam Al Hammadi, an advisory board member of The Big Heart Foundation, said, “A child’s circumstances should never determine whether they have the basic tools to learn. For children in Gaza, educational supplies can preserve an important link to learning amid profound disruption. For children in Egypt, a complete school bag can help them start the academic year with greater preparedness and confidence.” She added, “This campaign gives everyone a clear and meaningful role. A donation, a packed school bag, or support for a student’s tuition can remove an immediate barrier to education and show children that their ambitions and futures still matter.”
Abdulla Alblooshi, associate director of portfolio management for Sharjah Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim, said, “At Majid Al Futtaim, creating meaningful community impact is central to how we bring people together. By hosting The Big Heart Foundation’s school-bag packing activation at City Centre Al Zahia, we are proud to provide a space where families, individuals and organisations can turn their generosity into practical support for students.” He added, “Education opens pathways to opportunity, and this activation offers our community a direct and meaningful way to help children start the academic year with the tools and confidence they need. We value our partnership with The Big Heart Foundation and hope the initiative inspires people across the UAE to take part.”
