Refugee children residing in countries neighbouring the UAE are set to receive new sources of reading enjoyment thanks to an initiative by the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY). The national branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has concluded its most recent book donation campaign, which has resulted in a total of 290 books being collected for distribution.
Held in conjunction with ‘Fairytales’, an indoor play area for children in Dubai, the campaign was launched with a reading event held there on July 22. The UAEBBY campaign successfully collected a variety of suitable reading material to be sent to displaced children living in areas where they face difficulties gaining access to books.
The donation drive was organised under the umbrella of the UAEBBY’s ‘Kan Yama Kan’ initiative, which was launched in November 2015 to promote the culture of reading and alleviate the suffering of children by providing them with sources of knowledge and entertainment that can help them overcome the tough conditions they face each day. Under the initiative, suitable books are distributed to children living in areas with limited, or no access, to reading material due to constraints such as difficult social conditions, natural disasters, conflict and unrest.
Marwa Obaid Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY Executive Board said: “We had an overwhelming turnout, with many children donating their favourite books and taking part in the initiative’s other activities. The drive helped to instill a sense of volunteerism and social cohesion in children, thereby promoting the important values of social solidarity. We would like to sincerely thank everyone involved, especially the families who contributed to the campaign’s success by encouraging their children to donate their books.
“The acquisition of knowledge is an inherent human right for all children as enshrined in international conventions and national legislation. The UAEBBY book donation campaign was conducted in line with the vision of Shaikha Budoor Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, [founder and patron of the Emirates Publishers Association, member of the Executive Committee of the International Publishers Association and founder and CEO of Kalimat Group], to safeguard the fundamental right of every child to read by ensuring easy access to books and by providing reading material for children in conflict-affected areas.”
Fatima Al Madani, Founder of Fairytales, said: “It was a pleasure to have cooperated with the UAEBBY in the implementation of this important campaign, which was inspired by noble humanitarian values and concepts. The book drive was instigated with the aim of bringing joy and happiness to the hearts of refugee children by providing them with reading material that will help them gain knowledge while having fun. We hosted this campaign out of our strong beliefs and in line with our commitment to social responsibility towards vulnerable categories by supporting them and standing by their side.”
