The Child Centre – Gaza (CCG) / A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF) has recently organised an event in celebration of the National Reading Day. To promote the love of reading within the Palestinian society, the celebration brought together 417 students of government, private and UNRWA elementary and preparatory schools, as well as children of kindergartens.
Organised for the second year in a row, the National Reading Day event was observed in commemoration of martyr Baha’ Elayyan, who took several initiatives to encourage reading. Consequently, the Ministry of Culture announced March 16th of each year as National Reading Day.
Participating children followed different paths into the world of reading. In their journey, children were introduced to well-known world-class and popular stories, including Little Red Riding Hood, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, The Honest Woodcutter, and Harry Potter. Children moved around four interactive corners in the CCG Library. In an environment that motivated reading, new spaces of knowledge were opened up for children.
Participation in the event was not limited to children, however. Parents enjoyed reading with their children too. Expressing her impression about the event, Fatima al-Zahra’ Suhweil, mother of 9-year-old Ritaj, said: “My child and I passed through a miniature of the Jerusalem gate into the CCG. We enjoyed reading stories. Ritaj enjoyed watching real life story characters in front of her. For the first time, she was introduced to Harry Potter.”
Following his tour around the CCG corners, Atef al-Durrah, Manager of the Dar Al-Kalima for Publishing and Distribution, stated: “I was so impressed by the scene and of children’s interaction. These activities have a profound impact on children, motivating their love of reading. It will remain deeply carved in their memories all their lives.”
Mahmoud Rouqah, Director of the Audiovisual Department at the Ministry of Culture, stated: “I had fun and recalled to mind those days when I was a little student… I wished I could be a child again so that I can participate and move around the corners. Today, I was like other children, pleased and happy.”
The event brought together male and female students from the Abdul Karim al-Aklouk Upper School; Halab Elementary School; Al-Shati’ Mixed Elementary School (F); Makkah al-Mukarramah Private School; Al-Shuja’iya Elementary Boys School (A); Beit Hanun Elementary School; Jabalya Elementary School (B); Asma Mixed Elementary School (A); and Rosary Sisters School. Children of the Educational Creativity Kindergarten, Tayba Model Kindergarten, and Mira Model Kindergarten also participated in the event.
A literary encounter on the sidelines of the event
In the context of the National Reading Day activities, the CCG organised a literary encounter via Skype with Palestinian writer and literary figure Huda Al-Shawwa on 28 March 2018. Children talked to Al-Shawwa, discussed her novel The Dragon of Bethlehem, and learned about her literary career. Al-Shawwa said she was pleased with the encounter and urged children to continue to read, write, and criticise.
All the year round, the CCG organise cultural activities, programmes, and events that promote the love of reading among children. The CCG Library contains more than 98,000 library items, making it one of the largest and most sophisticated children’s libraries in the Arab world.