Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, founder and president of the Kalimat Foundation, led the Foundation’s delegation during its visit to the Thessaloniki Central Library in Greece, to donate a collection of books to the library under the umbrella of the Foundation’s “Adopt a Library” initiative, which aims to enhance refugee and disadvantaged children’s access to sources of knowledge.
The delegation included Dr. Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Greece, Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority and member of the Board of Trustees of the Kalimat Foundation, and Vassilis Jakes, Cultural Deputy Mayor of Thessaloniki.
The visit came as part of the Kalimat Foundation’s participation in the activities of the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, which celebrates Sharjah as the guest of honor in its 20th session, where the initiative provided a library containing 100 books in the Arabic language to consolidate reading and enhance the educational experiences of Arab refugee children in Greece.
During the visit, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi highlighted the strategic importance of the initiative, saying: “Through these impactful donations under the umbrella of the ‘Adopt a Library’ initiative, which includes our second major contribution to communities within the Greek Republic since 2019, we are not only providing children in need with access to resources… Not only knowledge, but we light a torch to light their path towards a better future. We are committed to continuing our growing global efforts that contribute to enriching the unlimited potential of young minds. We also work to empower children and help them overcome challenges, to draw a better and brighter tomorrow for themselves and their communities, through… Establishing a culture of reading, empathy and tolerance.”
This initiative was accompanied by a reading session presented by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi for her book, “World Book Capital,” of which she signed copies for the children participating in the session. This was followed by organizing a workshop inspired by the book, and attended by a number of Arab children from the “Arsis Social Support Association for Youth.”
The Kalimat Foundation, through the “Adopt a Library” initiative, donated a second library to the “Association for Social Support for Young Adults ‘Arsis’”, a non-governmental organization based in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, specializing in providing social support to children and adolescents who suffer from harsh or difficult circumstances. They face certain risks, and by defending their rights, the association hosts Arab families and unaccompanied children, and this donation contributes to enhancing reading and sources of knowledge for children, giving them the opportunity to access reading materials in their mother tongue.
Amna Al Mazmi, Director of the Kalimat Foundation, said that the Kalimat Foundation reflects the efforts of the Emirate of Sharjah and its wise leadership in consolidating the culture of knowledge and building bridges of intellectual communication, through the right of every child to read and access sources of learning and knowledge, noting that the Adopt a Library initiative confirms this commitment and emphasizes The essential role that cooperation and joint efforts of institutions concerned with child protection around the world play in empowering communities through literature and reading, linking those communities to their cultural heritage, and enhancing their sense of identity and belonging to their homelands.
During the four-day exhibition activities, the Kalimat Foundation presented its noble mission and goals, and its “We Build a Library” initiative, which made a fundamental, tangible difference in the lives of more than 16,700 children in 24 countries around the world. The Foundation provided visitors with the opportunity to contribute to supporting this noble cause. By purchasing the initiative’s various products, which were designed in cooperation with the Emirati artist Mohammed Al Mansouri.
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