Takaful Charity Foundation, which deals with the affairs of the Ministry of Education's personnel, has approved a plan to collect donations from ministry employees for students who are in dire need of financial assistance. The decision was taken Saturday at the first meeting of the Foundation presided over by Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Saud, Minister of Education, which was held in Makkah. Donations will be collected by deducting money from the salaries of employees who will determine the amounts they give by filling out forms they will receive at the beginning of each academic year, sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Takaful will ask schools to form special committees, made up of five teachers and led by the school principals, to implement the program and determine which students need financial aid, the sources added. In addition to the approved plan and other donations received by the foundation, financial assistance will be distributed from the SR500 million offered to the foundation by King Abdullah. Male and female students who need financial aid will be helped, regardless of whether they receive such assistance from other charity organizations. Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah said the Takaful Charity Foundation was founded in line with King Abdullah's directives to help students financially and achieve the national strategic goals of social development. On behalf of the members of the board of trustees, ministry personnel and the students, the Prince expressed gratitude to King Abdullah for funding the charity organization with SR500 million to help needy and orphaned students. “The financial aid provided by Takaful won't contradict with the programs provided by the General Department of Guidance and Counseling of the ministry or any other governmental authority,” he added. The Takaful Charity Foundation seeks to accomplish its strategic vision of becoming the largest charity foundation in the Kingdom. It will provide students with school supplies, winter and summer clothes, school canteen coupons, food and basic needs for the students' families. It will also enroll students in vocational and technical courses to help them get jobs. __
