"Kalimat Foundation" The presence of Arabic books in Malaysia has been strengthened with six libraries serving 4,000 students

Kuala Lumpur, July 14, 2017 – Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and President of the Kalimat Foundation, led the international foundation’s latest initiative in Malaysia by providing six mobile libraries containing 600 children’s books to schools across the country, allowing more than 4,000 students to access quality reading resources that enrich their school libraries, support language learning, develop their imagination, and enhance their connection to reading, knowledge, and culture.

The initiative was implemented in partnership with “Kota Buku”, a Malaysian semi-governmental organization concerned with promoting reading and developing the national publishing sector, and in cooperation with the Malaysian Council on Books for Young People – the national branch of the International Council on Books for Young People.

Through these partnerships, the Kalimat Foundation supported primary schools across Malaysia with mobile libraries, which contributes to enriching their school libraries, enhancing Arabic language learning resources for students and teachers, and providing quality books to young readers that develop their imagination and build a sustainable relationship with reading.

As part of the initiative, Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi visited Seri Bintang South National School, one of the schools supported within the partnership with Kota Buku, where she was received by Ms. Adiba Omar, CEO of Kota Buku, and Ms. Siti Mazia Malik, School Director, along with a number of senior officials from the Malaysian Ministry of Education and representatives of Kota Buku, where Her Highness toured the school’s facilities and library and attended a student program. Celebrate the Arabic language and its culture.

Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi said that Malaysia has a long and ancient legacy in teaching the Arabic language, which schools and local communities have contributed to consolidating over successive generations, adding: “Through the “Adopt a Library” initiative, we are proud to contribute to this legacy by expanding children’s access to quality Arabic books and enriching the educational environments in which the Arab language, culture, and identity flourish. Every library we provide in a school, community center, or educational environment embodies our belief that the book is able to open… “The horizons of learning, curiosity and opportunities open to children, giving them the ability to build deeper and more meaningful connections with the world around them.”

For her part, Mrs. Adiba Omar welcomed the cooperation with the Kalimat Foundation because of the promising opportunities it provides for students’ interaction with the Arabic language and literature, in addition to its role in strengthening the close educational and cultural relations that bring together Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, adding that such partnerships represent a qualitative addition to the educational environment and reflect a shared commitment to investing in future generations through education.

The visit included a series of student activities attended by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, which included a presentation in Arabic, the presentation of Arabic books to the participating children, a storytelling session, and a creative workshop during which the students designed book covers inspired by the story, in an experience that encouraged them to interact through imagination, dialogue, and artistic expression.

This initiative reflects the mission of the Kalimat Foundation to make qualitative Arabic literature available to children outside the Arab world. It contributes, in addition to supporting Arabic language education, to expanding the knowledge of young readers, enriching their Arabic linguistic vocabulary, and deepening their interaction with the language through reading and discovery.

The “Adopt a Library” initiative, through its programs covering 6 continents, succeeded in distributing more than 216 libraries, benefiting more than 100,000 children in about 30 countries, in cooperation with governments, educational institutions, and humanitarian organizations, with the aim of ensuring that every child has the opportunity to read, learn, and remain connected to the richness of the Arabic language and its culture.

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