Firoz Merchant, the Chairman of Pure Gold Group, is one of a business tycoon, was born to a poor family with nine siblings, in Gujarat. Merchant joined his late father’s small real-estate business after dropping out from school when he was 11.
Until today he has helped in securing the release of 4,500 prisoners languishing in various jails by clearing their debts. Now he plans to enhance the amount devoted to philanthropy to $1 million and bail out thousands more from not just UAE jails, but the wider GCC region.
Even though a school dropout, Merchant can speak several languages and personal interviews the inmates before finalizing his list. His task does not end there; he makes sure the prisoner reunites with his or her family.
“My first priority is to help prisoners in the UAE jails. Once this issue is properly addressed, I plan to look at other countries in the region. This year, $1 million is earmarked to bail out more prisoners from the UAE jails and in the next few weeks, a few hundred more prisoners will be released from Ajman, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah,” said Merchant, whose office has been bombarded with requests for help.
While the majority of the prisoners are male earning members, he has come across some women and kids, too.
After bailing out more than 4,500 expatriate prisoners, he is looking at releasing around 500 more prisoners from the Northern Emirates and starts looking at helping prisoners in other GCC countries.
Merchant has been supporting the Red-Crescent Society, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charitable Foundation, Dar Al Ber Society, Bait Al Khair Society, Jamiya Asarika Al Khaliya (Sharjah Charity International), UAE Genetic diseases Association, Breast Cancer Control, Faraj fund, Ministry of Education UAE, Ministry of Health UAE and Zakat Fund Abu Dhabi, among others.
Post Your Comments