Bodour Al Qasimi chairs the Board of Trustees meeting "Kalimat Foundation"

Sharjah, December 9 / WAM / Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and President of the Kalimat Foundation, chaired the second meeting of the Kalimat Foundation’s Board of Trustees, which was held in “Najd Al-Maqsar” in Khor Fakkan, with the aim of reviewing the Foundation’s achievements during the year 2024 and discussing its future strategies for the year 2025 to enhance its humanitarian and cultural impact in supporting… Arab children in areas of displacement and asylum and children with visual disabilities through innovative initiatives and sustainable programs that contribute to facilitating their access. For books and sources of knowledge and improving their lives.

The meeting was attended by members of the Board of Trustees: Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Treasurer and Chairman of the Partnerships and Financing Committee, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan Al Nahyan, Chair of the Awareness and Public Support Committee, Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Secretary-General, Dr. Muhaddith Al Hashemi, and Mohammed. Abdullah and Fouad Mansour Sharaf, Chairman of the Programs and Events Committee.

During the meeting, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi stressed the importance of the humanitarian and cultural role played by the Foundation, saying, “In our world today, where many societies face unprecedented challenges, the importance of the work carried out by the Kalimat Foundation is evident. Therefore, providing books and reading to children in difficult circumstances is not just providing educational means, but rather is Building bridges of hope and creating a brighter future for them. Our goal is to give children the opportunity to overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams, no matter how harsh their environment is.”

She added that the year 2024 was full of achievements that reflect our renewed commitment to our mission. Through our various programs, we have reached thousands of children in several countries around the world, and we have expanded to build new partnerships with local and international institutions that share our vision of providing the best accessible books for children with visual disabilities, adding that “as we prepare for the year 2025 We have in mind ambitious strategies to strengthen our current programs and expand their scope to reach Arab children wherever they are and create real and sustainable change in their lives.”

During the meeting, the Council reviewed the Foundation’s most prominent achievements in its “Adopt a Library” initiative, which aims to provide forcibly displaced children with compact libraries, each containing 100 books in the Arabic language. In 2024, the initiative witnessed the distribution of 10 new mobile libraries, most notably in Italy, Greece, and the United States.

The Council also discussed the latest efforts in its “I see” initiative, where it launched its awareness campaign for inclusive education in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Sharjah Private Education Authority. The Foundation added 20 audio books to its accessible library, while the initiative seeks to support blind and visually impaired children who suffer from visual disabilities that prevent them from reading print by providing Books and publications in various formats, such as Braille books, large print books, audio books, and e-books in EPUB3 format, and by introducing publishers to the technologies. And the tools used in making accessible books.

The meeting reviewed the results of the “We Sew Hope for Gaza” campaign, which was dedicated to supporting Palestinian children affected by the war in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent. The Council discussed developments related to the “Introduction and Charitable Caravan” that toured government departments and universities in the country with the aim of displaying the product line of cooperation with the artist Mohammed Al Mansouri and generating revenues. Supports refugee and disadvantaged Arab children.

Council members agreed on strategic plans for the coming year, which included strengthening international and local partnerships to ensure that books reach more children in needy communities and increasing awareness to achieve sustainability for current and future projects, in addition to focusing on launching innovative initiatives that enhance the reading and education experience for children in the most challenging environments.

Following the meeting, the members of the Board of Trustees accompanied Sheikha Baddour on a tour of the “Najd Al-Maqsar” project, which is managed by the “Sharjah Hospitality Group” affiliated with the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). The project is considered one of the most important historical sites in the “Washi” Valley, located within the city of Khor Fakkan and includes Old houses dating back about 100 years have been restored and transformed into seven luxury heritage residential units overlooking the Khor Fakkan Mountains. Archaeological studies indicate that engraved rocks were found at the site. With drawings of camels and horses estimated to be 2000 years BC.

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