• Proceeds provide accommodation and education to children at Harmony House India
  • Charity now plans to open new centre, helping to lift extra 200 orphans out of poverty

Dubai, UAE: Proceeds from the chart-topping GEMS Wellington Charity Single – a student-produced cover of Miley Cyrus’ song ‘The Climb’ – are set to help Indian charity Harmony House open a new centre that will enable 200 homeless children escape a life of poverty.

Through a combination of downloads, t-shirt sales, and direct donations, the seven GEMS Wellington schools involved in the initiative have raised a total of AED30,000 so far, with donations continuing to come in.

The charity single, performed by over 200 GEMS performing arts students, last month debuted at the top of the UK and UAE download charts and has continued to gather momentum and make an indelible impact.

Lucy Bruce, Founder and CEO of Harmony House, was a guest of honour at the recent GEMS Wellington Performing Arts Gala held at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis (WSO) in Dubai.

Taking to the stage, Bruce said: “We started Harmony House with just 12 children 14 years ago, and today we have 1,000 children who are gaining the education they need to finally break free from the cycle of poverty that they were born into. It lifts not only them out of poverty, but their entire family and eventually their community as well.

“With the funding from this incredible project, we will be opening another centre, which will allow a further 200 children to join Harmony House to have the hope of a better future and break away from the poverty cycle.

“Thank you to everyone who has contributed. Thank you to Dubai Cares and to each and every one of you for digging deep and giving these children the life that they so deserve. Every one of our children is so grateful to you and these great performers.”

Throughout the gala, which was themed ‘It’s the Little Things’, guests and parents made live donations through Dubai Cares, with the event adding AED13,000 to the fund over the course of the afternoon.

The students involved in the single have been receiving guidance, masterclasses, and mentoring from ten West End professionals, including music producers, vocal consultants, choreographers, and musical theatre stars. Over the course of this academic year, they have benefited from over 700 hours of specialised industry-level training and development.

Jodie Quirke, Wellington Director of Performing Arts, GEMS Education, said: “Every student involved in the GEMS Wellington Charity Single initiative will remember this for the rest of their lives. They have recorded and sung with leading music industry professionals and coaches, they sang and danced in a high-quality music video, and some have even performed live on TV and radio for the first time ever.

“But most importantly, they have made a real impact on the lives of less fortunate children. This initiative shows the enduring power and impact of performing arts on students and the world, and why it is so important to us at GEMS Wellington schools.”

The charity single was produced in partnership with West End Stage Dubai, which also filmed the students in the UAE and Qatar to produce a scintillating music video.

The GEMS Wellington cluster of British curriculum schools is widely recognised for its academic excellence and performing arts. GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis is the GEMS Centre of Excellence for Performing Arts and Theatre Technology and offers unparalleled experiences and facilities for students in the arts.

The school hosted the annual GEMS Wellington Performing Arts gala, which was compèred by British stage actor Tarinn Callender, best known for his performances in hit musicals such as ‘Hamilton’, ‘Kiss Me Kate’ and ‘Come From Away’.

Callender, who along with other stage actors has been inspiring and mentoring students at WSO over the course of the academic year, was recently named the school’s Patron of Performing Arts.

The other schools in the cluster are GEMS Wellington International School, GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail, GEMS Wellington School – Qatar, GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, GEMS Jumeirah College – Dubai, and GEMS Royal Dubai School.

The charity single is available to download on iTunes, and every download raises funds for Harmony House.  To download the single, click here.

To make a donation to Harmony House through Dubai Cares in the UAE, visit: GEMS Wellington Charity Single for Harmony House | Dubai Cares Crowdfunding.

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About GEMS Education

GEMS Education is one of the oldest and largest K-12 private education providers in the world and a trusted and highly regarded choice for quality education in the Middle East and North Africa region. As a company founded in the UAE in 1959, it holds an unparalleled track record of providing diverse curricula and educational choices to all socio-economic means.

Having started with a single school run from a private home in Dubai, GEMS remains a family business to this day. Its inspiring Founder, Sunny Varkey, and his son, Dino Varkey, who is Group Chief Executive Officer, are responsible for providing vision, insight, and strategy across the organisation.

Every day, GEMS has the privilege of educating 170,000+ students from over 176 countries through its owned and managed schools globally. And through its growing network, as well as charitable contributions, it is fulfilling the GEMS vision of putting a quality education within the reach of every learner.

Every year, students graduating from GEMS schools progress to the world’s best universities. Over the past five years, GEMS students have been accepted into over 1,050 universities in 53 countries including all eight Ivy League universities in the US and all 24 Russell Group universities and colleges in the UK. A quarter of all Dubai’s ‘Outstanding’ schools are from GEMS Education and the network also has the only ‘Outstanding’ school in Sharjah.

For further information about GEMS Education, visit www.gemseducation.com or contact:
Razan Abusabha, Account director, Four Communications
Razan.Abusabha@four.agency

About Harmony House India

Harmony House is an Indian and UK registered non-profit organisation in Gurgaon, India. Harmony House has transformed two villas into full-time community centres for over 1,000 women and children from a nearby slum, where they are offered education, nutrition, medical facilities, hygiene facilities, vocational training, and social services.

Harmony House relies 100% on donations and contributions to operate. Every donation, no matter how big or small, is spent on improving the lives of those who are most in need. Harmony House is dedicated to improving the lives of children on a physical, emotional and intellectual level and aims to give enriching and memorable experiences to every child.

Harmony House is registered under FCRA, 12A and 80G.