UAE's MBRF to distribute 'Smart Reading Kits' to refugee kids

Dubai - The move is part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation aim to promote the spread of knowledge in the Arab region.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, a member of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, today announced an initiative in which 'Smart Reading Kits' will be distributed to refugee children aged between 3 and 11, as a gift from Her Highness Shaikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in partnership with the UAE Red Crescent.  
According to a release by the Dubai Media Office, the initiative is part of the 'Reading Nation" campaign, which was launched during the Holy Month of Ramadan by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to provide five million books to students and children in refugee camps.  
The initiative has been launched under the patronage of the Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation His Highness Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.  
The move is part of the Foundation's aim to promote the spread of knowledge in the Arab region, and contribute to building knowledge-based communities. The move also aims to instill greater hope among refugee children who have suffered from armed conflicts that have deprived them of their basic right to education and learning.
Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of the Foundation, said that one of the key aims of the initiative is to help refugee children across the world live a normal life and aspire and plan for a better future for both them and their communities through opportunities for learning and acquiring knowledge.  
He said the distribution of the Kits will be done in phases. In the first phase, 200,000 'Smart Reading Kits' will be distributed to Syrian children in refugee camps in Jordan, while the second will target children in need across the world.  
The 'Smart Reading Kit' includes a number of educational books, coloring books, learning tags, and a smart pen that reads letters and words, and teaches children correct pronunciation. The Kit aims to help the children develop their learning and reading skills through innovative techniques.
Dr. Mona Al-Bahr, CEO of the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, said UAE citizens feel proud to belong to a country that is helping 'The Reading Nation' regain its cultural glory.  
She also said that the 'Reading Nation' campaign will focus on the development of the Arab community from its roots, through children who represent the future of the nation.   
She praised the Foundation's initiative, which she said is an exceptional humanitarian initiative focused on refugee children, as it seeks to equip them with tools to continue their learning, despite being in refugee camps, and help them become strong and productive members of their communities and their nations in the future.  
Earlier in the month of Ramadan, as part of the 'Reading Nation' campaign, the Foundation launched a campaign to distribute 100,000 books to a number of public libraries in Yemen, as well as refugee camps in the Arab world.
The campaign started with distributing 1000 books to each library in Yemen as part of the goal of supporting refugees and spreading knowledge across the Arab world.

• Dubai