UAEBBY concludes book donation drive for refugee kids

Sharjah / Emirates Business

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 book donation campaign for refugee children residing in a number of countries.
Held in collaboration with ‘Fairytales,’ an indoor play area for children at Town Centre Jumeirah, Dubai and launched with a reading event there on July 22, the campaign successfully collected 290 books that will be distributed to refugee children living in areas where they face difficulties gaining access to suitable reading material.
The donation drive was organised under the umbrella of the ‘Kan Yama Kan’ initiative, which was launched by the UAEBBY in November 2015 with the aim of providing high quality books, for children living in areas with limited, or no access, to reading material because of difficult social conditions, natural disasters, conflict and unrest. The initiative aims 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 are enduring.
The campaign saw an overwhelming turnout of individuals, with many children donating their favourite books and taking part in the initiative’s attendant activities. The drive emboldened the youngsters to participate through its emphasis on the importance of being independent and of sharing their happiness and joy with others less fortunate than themselves.
Commenting on the initiative, Marwa Obaid Al Aqroubi, President of the UAEBBY Executive Board, reiterated that obtaining knowledge is an inherent human right for all children as enshrined in international conventions and national legislation.
“This important book donation campaign was conducted in line with the vision of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and Patron of the UAEBBY, to safeguard the fundamental right of every child to read by ensuring easy access to books and providing reading material for children in conflict-affected areas,” she said.

“As well as lending a hand to those who are vulnerable and who are suffering from tough living conditions, the importance of this campaign was evident in its commitment to instilling a love of volunteerism and social cohesion in children, thereby promoting the values of social solidarity,” Al Aqroubi added.

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 and participate in the activities held alongside the campaign,” Al Aqroubi added.
Fatima Al Madani, Founder of Fairytales, said: “It was a pleasure to have cooperated with the UAE Board on Books for Young People 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.”
She added: “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.”
The UAEBBY aims to ensure that children have access to books, encourages the publishing and distribution of high-value reading material and promotes storytelling and children’s literature. The organisation is the national section of the IBBY, a non-profit organisation that represents an international network of institutions and individuals who are committed to encouraging a culture of reading and bringing children closer to the world of books. The IBBY seeks to promote global awareness through children’s books; provide young people with reading material of high literary and artistic standards and give support and training to authors and illustrators who are involved in the field of children’s literature.