Students at Brighton College Abu Dhabi raised AED23,000 to fund life enhancing operations for children and adults born with cleft lips and cleft palates.
Led by Nader Maarouf, head boy a the school, the Operation Smiles charity works to improve the self-esteem and quality of life of those suffering from this condition, as well as help prevent illnesses and premature deaths associated with it.
Launched in December 2018, the students have managed to raise in excess of AED23,000 through using collection boxes, selling merchandise and orchestrating Bake Sales. These funds will cover the costs of over 20 operations.
Nader, who has been the driving force behind establishing Operation Smile and the charity at the College, was the recipient of the Ed Goodwin Award for Exceptional Service in the UAE. This is an annual award recognising the outstanding contribution of pupils in British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) to either their local or global community. To ensure that this commitment is honoured and continues, the award has been instituted by BSME.
Simon Corns, Headmaster at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, said “I’m delighted that the College has raised this significant amount of money for such a deserving cause and I’m immensely proud, as so often, of the spirit in which pupils here rise to these occasions, reflecting arguably the most important quality we seek to promote throughout the Brighton family of schools: kindness.”