Ministry celebrates ‘Month of Reading’

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The Ministry of Community Development launched a series of reading and knowledge events to celebrate the month of reading “March 2021” under the title “My family reads”, targeting the employees of the Ministry, People of Determination centres, customers’ happiness centres all over the UAE, family members including children, senior citizens and People of Determination. The events included virtual activities to embody communication and interaction as part of achieving the goals of reading month at a large scale.

The Ministry was keen to disseminate the activities of the month of reading to all it staff, customers and partners from various government authorities and associations to achieve the directives of the UAE government, enhance the role of parenthood, instill and consolidate the love of reading among children and adopt initiatives aimed at enhancing the value and role of reading as a way of increasing the bond between parents and children leading to stimulating interaction of reading among family members, children and even senior citizens in a sustainable manner.

The activities included “Reading Pioneers”, “Knowledge Café”, “The Right to Read”, “Read with My Grandchildren for Senior Citizens”, a “Success Story” initiative, a trip to the library, how to choose my book and what to read? In addition to the “My Family’s Digital Reading Passport” initiative. My father, mother, brother and sister read for me,” through the Virtual Dad theater.

The Ministry of Community Development provided the “book pass” initiative for all its staff, by creating an internal website page containing an ascending counter for visitors to the page to calculate the number of people and readers; the page which contained an e-book circulated among all the employees.

Both “Let’s read together” and “Play and Read” initiatives delighted the visitors at all the customers’ happiness centres and invited them to read by using a certain code. The activities and events of the “Reading Challenge” competition for all the staff of the ministry provides the winner an award for finalising the largest number of books. The “Reading Pioneers” for employees and the community members including children and senior citizens selects (4) staff members to view (4) books, one book per session each week.