Isabelle le bon Poonoosamy

Raised in a family where philanthropy and volunteering were central features, Isabelle left her home country of Mauritius to study at the University Dauphine in Paris, France, where she graduated in Economics and studied for a Master’s degree in the Philosophy of Economics. In 1999, Isabelle’s strong affection for charitable work led her to Bangladesh. Volunteering with banks established to help the poor, Isabelle helped to establish a project offering ‘soft loans’ to the needy. In that same year, she collaborated with people in her native Mauritius to set up a centre for people with special needs. Upon arriving in the United Arab Emirates with her family in 2005, Isabelle began to volunteer full-time at the Special Care Centre in Abu Dhabi, a centre for children with special needs. Touched by her experiences, she established the “Good Heart Foundation” to raise funds for the Centre. Additionally, the non-profit organization “Nahtam” was founded by Isabelle to provide support a variety of local organizations in their humanitarian fund raising campaigns. Isabelle was also a principal organizer in the “Donate a Brick” campaign, which collects donations to build a modern and fully equipped school for children with special needs in Abu Dhabi. Once complete, the school will be the largest of its kind in the Emirate, accommodating 300 students across more than 22,000 square meters. Isabelle’s work however, has not come to an end. She continues to contribute to future projects, including collaborating with international charities to develop awareness campaigns that will enable successful integration of people with special needs into the community.