In accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates in article 29 of the child’s right to learn and ultimately lead to the development of the child’s personality and physical abilities as much as possible, URDA’s Child Protection Program opened a children’s library on January 1st, 2021, which is dedicated to children and young people between the ages of 5 and 24 at the Protection Community Center in Bekaa.
The library accommodates 10 children taking into consideration the safe distancing procedures when carrying out activities. It is equipped with books, tables and chairs, as well as a display screen with a variety of printed books, including novels, comic books and educational books.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak in Lebanon, the Library is committed to the decision of general mobilization and total lockdown to reduce the spread of the virus but is expected to resume its activities at a date to be determined later within the framework of our preventive and precautionary measures.
URDA’s Child Protection Program Manager Mrs. Alaa Kaddoura explained that this library adopts a unique vision based on a set of key priorities, the most important of which is enhancing the children’s imagination, stimulating their curiosity, promoting the growth of their mind and developing their social and communication skills through reading, adding that books and novels in particular help the child learn the difference between all that is “real” and “imaginary”, with a view to understanding the new or frightening changes and events that can accompany them.
Mrs. Kaddoura considers this initiative a treatment that helps children reduce their stress by reading certain words that stimulate the mind to get rid of daily anxieties and lead to relaxation, improved memory, and concentration. She explained that group reading sessions between boys and girls can develop social bonds and friendship, especially since parents of children and specifically mothers participate in library activities, which leads to the establishment of a psychosocial support system among children that helps them to alleviate and reduce the symptoms of many of their mental disorders and create a safe space for thought and emotional expression.
It is worth mentioning that the child protection program is preparing to launch a book drive aimed at collecting books that are suitable for its target age group, which will be carried out in several areas, including Bekaa, Akkar Mount Lebanon and Beirut, and is expected to benefit more than 500 children.
Want to Donate a Book?
If you have any books in good condition that you care to give away to benefit our community center children, please contact us via: +961 3 055 268