Syrian refugee children at the Emirati-Jordanian Camp were given some welcome respite from the daily challenges of displacement this past weekend when they received packages containing gifts and toys in celebration of Eid al-Adha.
Organised by the U.A.E. Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and Knowledge Without Borders, the ‘Gift from the Heart' campaign formed part of the ‘Read to Syria's Children' Initiative launched by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, UAEBBY Patron and Head of the Organising Committee of Knowledge Without Borders (KWB).
The first phase of the gift campaign, which was launched in August 2014, gave U.A.E. citizens and residents the chance to make a positive difference in refugee children's lives by purchasing a gift that was selected by the children in the Emirati-Jordanian Refugee Camp from Hamley's Toys stores at Dubai Mall and Mirdif City Centre.
The second phase of the campaign was run in collaboration with the innovative gift service Fionka, which founded by Maha Al Muhairi brings gifts and gift wrapping services to people's doorstep. During this phase the Fionka bus visited busy locations across Sharjah to give people the opportunity to buy and donate gifts.
The toys were distributed by a delegation from UAEBBY and KWB, which included the President of UAEBBY Executive Board Marwa Obaid Al Aqroubi, KWB General Manager Rashid Mohammed Al Kous, Shada El Sayed from UAEBBY, and Noura Binhadyia from KWB. During their visit the delegation also made use of the opportunity to inspect the recently opened Big Heart Library a 3,000 volume library that was established earlier this year.
Marwa Obaid Al Aqroubi, President of the U.A.E. Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) Executive Board, said, "One of the greatest tragedies of any form of conflict is that it robs children of their innocence and sense of wonderment. Every child deserves the chance to have a real childhood, the chance to feel safe, secure, and cared for, and that is what the ‘Gift from the Heart' campaign is all about. All over the world Eid al-Adha is celebrated as a time of remembrance, of being thankful for the many blessings we have received, and we wanted to give people the chance to express their thankfulness by helping these children and giving them a moment of joy. Watching these brave young people's faces light up as they received their gifts and witnessing their joy was a wonderful experience and I want to thank every individual who contributed to making this campaign possible." Rashid Mohammed Al Kous, General Manager of Knowledge Without Borders (KWB), commented, "The children living in the Emirati-Jordanian Refugee Camp have been through so much, yet when you meet them it is clear how much potential they have. Through this gift campaign and our continued support, we want to ensure that this potential has the chance to grow. If we want to make a real difference in the future of this region, we need to protect and nurture its children in every way possible, both in terms of their physical needs and their emotional and intellectual development." Each child received a gift package consisting of a number of items, with the exact contents adjusted for age and gender, such as a watch, a doll, various accessories, and educational toy, a ball, a car, and a book. In addition to the distribution of the gift packages, the children's Eid celebrations were made even more special by a range of fun filled activities as well as the performances of the talented members of ‘Bait Al Hakaya' ('House and Tales and Music) who, led by children's author Rabeea Al Nasser and talented musician Tarek Al Nasser, performed and brought Eid Al Adha cheer to the camp's many residents.