Ministry of Health and Kalimat Group launch ‘My First Book’ initiative to foster love of reading at an early age

SHARJAH, 26th April, 2016 (WAM)--The Ministry of Health and Prevention in collaboration with Kalimat Group on Monday launched ‘My First Book,’ an initiative aimed at inculcating a love of books in children from birth to three years. My First Book has been introduced to highlight the importance of reading in children's lives and connect them with the written word in their formative years. In doing so, it aims to help develop children's personalities, expand their awareness and facilitate the process of knowledge acquisition during early childhood. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining My First Book initiative was signed by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group and Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention. The signing ceremony took place at Multaqa Al Qasba - Sharjah, in the presence of Dr. Hussain Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for Health Centres and Clinics at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, Nasser Khalifa Al Bodour, Assistant Under-Secretary, and director of the Minister's Office, Dr. Fadila Mohammed Sharif, Director of Health Education and Promotion at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Aisha Suhail, Director of Primary Healthcare Department at the Ministry, and Dr. Nadia Younis, Director of Public Affairs and Communication Lead- Gulf & Levant, Pfizer. The MoU aims to strengthen means of cooperation between both parties in the areas of common interest in order to promote the importance of reading, with a main element being to motivate parents to read to their young children. The initiative aims to raise mothers’ and fathers’ awareness about the importance of communicating with their little ones and to support each other in making reading an integral part of their children's lives. The terms of the MoU state that the Ministry of Health and Prevention will sponsor the AED One Million initiative, covering the cost of 5,000 bags containing reading material to be distributed to mothers, with each bag costing AED 200. Kalimat Group will provide the five Arabic language books contained in each of the bags, with the titles carefully selected from its extensive range of publications. The group will also supply a guide about the importance of reading to children as an accompaniment to the books. Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, said, "The idea of launching My First Book falls within the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and from our belief in the importance of cultivating the love of reading in children from an early age. Through this initiative we look forward to achieving a demonstrable positive impact on both children and their mothers by means of the book - the most effective tool for children’s learning." He added, "It is important that we work together at all levels to enrich the personalities of our children and to expand their knowledge so that they can grow intellectually as well as emotionally. In doing so, the UAE can achieve even greater accomplishments that will strengthen its leading role and lead to a future characterised by stability, happiness and success." Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, said; "In line with the directives of our wise leadership, the Ministry of Health and Prevention is committed to launching initiatives that enhance the health of UAE citizens and residents. Nurturing the intellectual capacities of children at an early age is one crucial aspect of our devotion to the future of our country, with our aim being to raise generations that are equipped with the skills to create and innovate. We thank Kalimat Group for collaborating with us in the implementation of this important initiative." To disseminate the initiative, a delegation consisting of Kalimat Group and Ministry of Health and Prevention personnel will be visiting healthcare institutions across the UAE, including childhood and motherhood centres, which have been proposed by the ministry as being the best venues for My First Book bag distribution. It is proposed that new mothers will each receive a bag once they open medical records at the respective centres. The ministry will provide Kalimat Group with the figures of mothers who register with healthcare centres on a monthly basis in order to develop a proper mechanism for delivering the bags. The ministry will also organise seminars for pregnant mothers attending healthcare establishments that reinforce the importance of reading to their child as soon as they are born, with the presentations being given by experts and specialists in the field. The five titles selected for the My First Book bag are 'My Hands,’ which describes the things that a child can do by using both their hands; ‘My Feet,’ which similarly explains what they can accomplish using their feet; ‘Playing with Daddy, a book designed especially for fathers to spend quality reading time with their child; ‘Delicious Bite,’ written to be the perfect book to accompany mealtimes and ‘Let's Go to Sleep,’ a title to be read when it’s time for the child to go to bed. Kalimat Publishing House – a subsidiary of Kalimat Group - is the first publishing house in the UAE dedicated solely to publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children’s books. With a portfolio of internationally-acclaimed and award-winning authors and illustrators, Kalimat has released over 175 books since its inception. Kalimat focuses on producing books for children with creative texts and vibrant illustrations. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395294718811.html