Culture & Education | Wednesday 1 March, 2017 10:29 am |

Nurturing a habit for reading is a lifelong practice, and is defined not just by the act of reading itself, but by a more holistic process of gathering, attaining and sharing the knowledge and experiences contained within books. The ‘Wall of Giving’ is one of Sharjah Children Centres’ (SCC) initiatives to encourage reading among children who live near the SCC’s through openly accessible libraries located at the various Centres across the emirate, which the young readers will grow and manage.

This initiative was launched to make children, mainly under the 6 to 12 age group, not just receivers but curators of knowledge. Through these libraries, SCC aims to highlight the essential role played by libraries in the development of societies, and to instill valuable attributes of teamwork, leadership and sharing among children.

“The ‘Wall of Giving’ initiative aims to introduce to children a sense of responsibility through the libraries. This model was deliberately chosen to inspire children to not just develop a love for books and reading, but also dive deep into a bigger enterprise – one that would require them to use their minds and bodies to grow, manage and sustain their libraries for the greater good for everyone in society,” said Aysha Ali Al Kaabi, Acting Director of SCC.

“The libraries have been established within our Centres to benefit all young readers living in their neighborhoods, irrespective of whether they are members of the SCC,” Al Kaabi added.

Al Kaabi shared that a proper strategy is in place to acquaint children with the initiative and help them understand the importance of participating through book donations and by assuming other responsibilities, which will benefit the libraries, their neighbourhoods and society at large. Orientation sessions will be organised by children during open days to introduce SCC's visitors to the initiative and its goals.

The donated books will undergo a registration and verification process by the Centre's Director or Deputy Director before being displayed on the ‘Wall of Giving’.

This initiative is the realisation of SCC's second edition of ‘A Better Me’ programme, which was launched during Ramadan last year to promote Islamic values and proactive social behaviour in children, and encourage them to engage constructively in their society.

SCC is dedicated to developing the talents and potential of its children members by engaging them in mentoring programmes and interactive workshops that help unleash their creative potential. SCC provides an environment that motivates children to achieve innovation and excellence and fosters within them positive energy and a national spirit, inspiring them to serve their country and excel in all domains.