SHARJAH, UAE- The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) and the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Sharjah International Book Fair to expand access to books and knowledge for children and young people in communities supported by humanitarian and development projects. The partnership will connect book donation drives across the UAE with the needs of readers around the world, while supporting the establishment of libraries and the development of reading spaces.
Her Excellency Mariam Al Hammadi, Advisory Board Member of TBHF, and Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of UAEBBY, signed the agreement at the UAEBBY pavilion at the fair. Following the signing, they visited TBHF’s pavilion to view the book drive activation, part of the organisations’ joint campaign to collect more than 10,000 books during the fair. The campaign welcomes new books and used books in good condition for distribution through the foundation’s humanitarian and education programmes.
The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration through TBHF’s Educate the Heart initiative and UAEBBY’s Kan Yama Kan initiative, linking the promotion of reading with the values of giving and volunteering. It encourages school and university students, libraries, educational and cultural institutions, and members of the community to help bring books to readers who need them. It reflects a shared belief that children, whatever their circumstances, should have access to resources that nurture their imagination, develop their abilities and help them discover their potential.
Her Excellency Mariam Al Hammadi said: “Access to knowledge is central to our vision for humanitarian work. Children need opportunities to learn, develop their abilities and build their futures. This partnership enables us to address those needs by bringing together complementary expertise. It also gives students taking part in Educate the Heart an opportunity to see how their generosity affects the lives of other children and to understand the dreams and aspirations they share. Working with UAEBBY, we are committed to ensuring that the books meet real needs and to following up on their delivery and use, so that the community’s generosity creates ongoing opportunities for education and learning”.
Marwa Al Aqroubi said: “Our responsibility towards children begins with the belief that their right to knowledge endures, however difficult their circumstances may become. A book gives a child room to imagine and dream beyond the limits of their reality. This is why our partnership with The Big Heart Foundation matters: it connects expertise in cultural work with humanitarian needs. Through this partnership, we aim to provide lasting access to quality books suited to children’s ages and languages, and libraries they can return to as they grow. We want reading to become an integral part of their lives, helping them discover their abilities and broaden their choices for the future.”
Under the MoU, UAEBBY will lead and implement book collection campaigns across the UAE, coordinate with participating organisations, organise accompanying activities, and establish procedures for collecting, sorting and preparing books. TBHF will identify donation destinations and beneficiary organisations in line with its humanitarian and development priorities, and provide UAEBBY with their book requirements, including languages, age groups and quantities. The foundation will also engage schools participating in Educate the Heart. Both parties will coordinate the transport, shipping and distribution of books through plans tailored to each project’s needs.
The collaboration also covers establishing and equipping new libraries, and improving existing libraries and reading spaces, within humanitarian and development projects around the world. Books, educational materials and equipment will be selected to suit the communities served, with project outcomes monitored to support long-term sustainability.
Educate the Heart was launched in 2022 under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation, to engage young people in humanitarian work and instil the values of giving and responsibility through first-hand experience. The initiative enables students to understand humanitarian needs and respond through activities they lead themselves, while mobilising support around shared goals. Since its launch, more than 30,000 students have taken part in practical, school-led initiatives that turn the values they learn into actions that make a difference in the lives of others.
Launched by UAEBBY in 2015, Kan Yama Kan provides high-quality books to children whose access to reading materials is restricted by social conditions, natural disasters, war or unrest. Since its launch, the initiative has distributed more than 15,000 books in countries including Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, India and Italy. It focuses on children in areas facing humanitarian crises or a shortage of educational resources, including refugee camps and communities, giving them opportunities to learn, explore their interests and find enjoyment in reading.
