Tag: CHILDREN

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-Top News Films Sharjah

SIFF presents 48 films curated for young audiences

SIFF presents 48 films curated for young audiences

Patrons will watch 48 exciting films across seven categories that will premiere exclusively at the eighth edition, unveiling on 10th October, reports Asian Lite News

Young movie buffs in the region and beyond are in for a true cinematic treat this year at the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF).

Patrons will watch 48 exciting films across seven categories that will premiere exclusively at the eighth edition, unveiling on 10th October, 2021.

SIFF presents 48 films curated for young audiences

SIFF 2021 will be screening six films making their world premieres and four being screened for the first time for the UAE audiences. The festival will also be the launch pad for 34 films in the Middle East and four in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) circuit.

Organised by FUNN, Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, in a fully online format this year, SIFF will be streaming more than 80 diverse films across six days. The films are free to watch and can be accessed by registering at: www.siff.ae.

 Two homegrown films, “Childhood Trauma” by the UAE-based Safa Azarayesh that compels us to connect the dots of childhood trauma with adulthood and is competing in the GCC Short Films category, and Sarah Al Ali’s “Don’t Give Up” that reinforces the need to persevere even when things seem difficult – headline the six films that will have their world premieres at SIFF 2021.

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The other four include “The First Line”, in Russian by Kate Bugrova; the Arabic film “Opportunity” by Saudi Arabian Fahad Alotaibi, which narrates a game of life and death; the emotionally resonant Persian film, “Sweet Taste of Darkness” by Mitra Raeesmohammadi, and Kazakh film “Shoqan” that explores the reality of truth, and directed by Kuka.

SIFF presents 48 films curated for young audiences

 “Last Round”, an animated short that has been gaining fame and popularity for its universal story of sibling love, is among the 34 films that will have their Middle East premiere.

A graduation project of Anatole Bournique, Maeva Chaulvet, Katia Hochstetter, Nicolas Jaffre, and Thais Mercier, students of the Goerges Melies School of Animation, France, the film narrates the story of a promising young boxer who is willing to do anything to finance the future of his little sister, a piano prodigy.

SIFF presents 48 films curated for young audiences

For the first time, the four films being shown in the GCC include the Russian animated film directed by Ekaterina Filippova, “The Little Boat that Wanted to Fly”. Winner of the Best Children’s Film Award at the 2020 World Festival of Animated Film (WFAF), it narrates a touching story about inclusion – a boat that does not fit in with others because it wants to fly.

The other films include “The Orphanage”, a captivating drama about an Afghan teen in trouble by Shahrbanoo Sadat; “In My Dream”, a Turkish tale of chasing dreams by Murat Ceri; and the Arabic film “Barcode” where commercialism and innocence intersect by Saudi Arabia’s Muhammad Alghamdi.

SIFF presents 48 films curated for young audiences

Award winner at Cannes Independent Film Festival among UAE premieres Kazakh director Alina Mustafina’s film “Ander” which won the special jury prize at the Cannes Independent Film Festival as well as the Best Documentary Film Award at Qatar’s Ajyal Film Festival in 2020, will be among the four films to open for the first time in the UAE.

Journalist, writer, and filmmaker Mustafina’s short documentary shares the story of her five-year-old boy Ander, who suffers from a very rare dairy allergy. He is an active and joyful kid but he has to eat separately from his classmates at school and brings his own cake to parties due to his allergic conditions.

The other films include “Comfortable Position”, a film centred on the theme of dreams and sleep and made by a group of 8 to 12-year-old children from Uzbekistan, and “Al-Sit” by Suzannah Mirghani; and Saudi Arabian director Mohammed Atabani’s Block.

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-Top News PAKISTAN

Child sex abuses on the surge in Pakistan

Minor Rape. (File Photo: IANS)

The fresh report titled “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2021” by Sahil said that more than 10 children were subjected to sexual abuse on average every day between January and June …Reports Asian Lite News

Incidents of sexual abuse against children are surging in Pakistan with the child protection organisation Sahil stating that the abuse has increased by two children per day in comparison with last year’s January-June report, local media said.

The fresh report titled “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2021” by Sahil said that more than 10 children were subjected to sexual abuse on average every day between January and June, according to Geo News.

“This year, 81 daily national and regional newspapers were monitored during January-June 2021 to collect data on child sexual abuse, abduction, missing children, and the cases of early forced marriages,” the report said.

The report has data from all four provinces of Pakistan and it revealed that a total of 1,896 cases of child abuse were reported in the period.

Out of these, 1,084 cases were of sexual abuse against children, 523 were cases of abduction, 238 cases of missing children, and 51 cases of child marriages, reported Geo News.

Nearly 53% (1,013) of the victims were girls and (883) 47% were boys. Nearly 60% of the total cases were reported from Punjab and 6% from the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Since 1996, the child protection agency Sahil has been working on child protection, especially against child sexual abuse (CSA), according to Geo News. (ANI)

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-Top News Dubai UAE News

Hamdan reviews progress of the Dubai Schools project

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools

Dubai Schools will ensure both Emirati students and students of other nationalities will have access to modern education in science and technology at an affordable cost…reports Asian Lite News

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai visited Dubai Schools-Al Barsha to review the progress of the Dubai Schools project.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools

He was accompanied by Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; and Secretary-General of The Executive Council and Chairman of the Supervisory Steering Committee of Dubai Schools Abdulla Al Basti.

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His Highness reviewed the education processes of Dubai Schools, a project that he launched in March 2021 to create a new Emirati schooling model that provides a global standard of education rooted in national values.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools

H.H SHEIKH HAMDAN, DUBAI CROWN PRINCE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, DUBAI: “Quality education is critical to personality development and the inculcation of creativity and innovation. We have developed an exceptional Emirati schooling model to achieve our future ambitions. Dubai is entering a new phase in which its education sector will follow international best practices and maintain the highest global benchmarks, while also upholding our Emirati and Arab identity.”

Sheikh Hamdan toured the classes and facilities of the school and was briefed about the progress of the project. His Highness directed the Dubai Schools project to create the conditions for more students to benefit from its advanced schooling system by forging partnerships with private schools and educational service providers.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan visits schools

The opening of Dubai Schools in Mirdif and Al Barsha, in partnership with Taaleem Company, formed part of the first of many phases of the Dubai Schools project. In August, HH Sheikh Hamdan issued directives to increase the number of students enrolled in Dubai Schools by 50%. The initial enrollment target of 800 students for the 2021-22 academic year has been increased to 1,200.

The project aims to build government-sponsored schools that are operated by the private sector according to global standards. Dubai Schools will ensure both Emirati students and students of other nationalities will have access to modern education in science and technology at an affordable cost. Through public-private partnerships, Dubai Schools seeks to enhance the emirate’s rise as an educational destination.

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Arab News Dubai UAE News

Gulf for Good mark 20th Anniversary

Gulf for Good mark 20th Anniversary

Gulf for Good, a UAE non-profit organistaion celebrates 20th anniversary by supporting children around the world…reports Asian Lite News

Gulf for Good, a UAE non-profit organisation which supports sustainable charity projects for children and promotes wellbeing through life changing experiences, has celebrated its 20th anniversary of implementing sustainable projects in the developing world, to help make a real difference in the lives of underprivileged children. Established in March 2001 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, former Chairman, Brian Wilkie MBE, James Berry and Paul Oliver, Gulf for Good was first inspired by the requirement to raise funds to buy an ambulance for a war-torn community in Namibia. This saw 49 people climb Mount Kilimanjaro and raise enough money to buy four brand new Land Rover ambulances which were distributed to hospitals in Namibia, Tanzania and Kenya.

During its 20 year legacy in the UAE, Gulf for Good has organised more than 91 challenges, with over 1,585 participants, in 27 countries, in support of 61 children’s charities; raising close to US$4 million to build schools, children’s homes, hospitals and more, changing the lives of countless children around the world. In 2020 alone during the midst of the pandemic crisis, Gulf for Good still managed to raise over half a million dirhams for children in need (585,000AED), and provided emergency relief and COVID support to its charity projects when they needed it the most. Gulf for Good has also excelled in diversifying its offering during the pandemic with the launch of its charity retail store Thrift for Good, reselling preloved items and donating  profits to Gulf for Good charity projects.

Gulf for Good mark 20th Anniversary

To mark the 20 year celebration, Gulf for Good will host an exhibition between mid-October and mid-November, which will showcase not only Gulf for Good’s impact during the past two decades, but also shine a light on the charities and supporters during the journey.

Chairwoman of Gulf for Good, and 18-time Gulf for Good challenger, Anne Edmondson, said:

“Gulf for Good continues to empower people to make positive changes to their lives and to improve the quality of children’s lives around the world. Throughout the past twenty years, we have supported numerous sustainable charity projects which have had a significant impact on underprivileged children, providing them with access to education and improved hygiene facilities. Our 20th anniversary is not just a milestone for us as a non-profit organisation, but for our whole community which has supported us through our international challenges, UAE day hikes and training, events and CSR activities, which have all contributed to our success in supporting projects around the world. As we look to the future, we are excited to continue enriching communities and corporations by challenging them to take action, providing opportunities to inspire people to help, and most importantly, supporting sustainable charity projects for children,” said Edmondson.

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Aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Gulf for Good addresses current and long-term needs in developing countries around the world related to access to basic quality education for more children where there would otherwise be none, with a particular focus on the education of girls, basic or essential healthcare, provision of essential medical supplies, inclusive, loving and supportive homes to vulnerable and abandoned children, and values of equality and justice.

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-Top News Afghanistan

‘Nearly 10mn Afghan kids in desperate need of humanitarian aid’

“They’re missing life-saving vaccines, including against polio, a disease that can paralyze children for life. Many are so malnourished they lie in hospital beds too weak to grasp an outstretched finger,”said UNICEF Afghanistan Representative ….reports Asian Lite News

There are nearly 10 million children in Afghanistan “in desperate need of humanitarian aid”, said UNICEF Afghanistan Representative, Herve Ludovic De Lys, adding that these children are deprived of their right to a healthy and protected childhood.

“Those least responsible for this crisis, are paying the highest price — including the children killed and injured in a series of atrocities in Kabul since last Thursday”, the senior UN Children’s Fund official told correspondents.

“Again, today, I heard of more unsettling reports – of unaccompanied children across the country…more reports of grave violations, including children being recruited by armed groups…All this in a year in which more than 550 children have been killed, and more than 1400 injured.”

He said that against a backdrop of conflict and insecurity, children are living in communities that are running out of water because of drought.

“They’re missing life-saving vaccines, including against polio, a disease that can paralyze children for life. Many are so malnourished they lie in hospital beds too weak to grasp an outstretched finger,” he said.

“These children are deprived of their right to a healthy and protected childhood”, he added.

Earlier on Monday, a UN shipment carrying lifesaving medical supplies reached Afghanistan by air. It was the first UN shipment since the Taliban takeover on August 15.

Announcing the news, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the successful airlift meant that it could “partially replenish” health facilities’ reserves and ensure that services can continue, for now.

Some 12.5 metric tonnes of supplies arrived in the northern airport of Mazar-i-Sharif, aboard a plane provided by the Government of Pakistan, UN News reported.

The WHO said that the shipment consisted of enough trauma and emergency health kits to cover the basic health needs of more than 200,000 people, as well as provide 3500 surgical procedures and treat 6500 trauma patients.

The supplies will be delivered immediately to 40 health facilities in 29 provinces across Afghanistan, the UN agency added.

The plane was loaded with the supplies earlier on Monday by WHO’s logistics team at the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

It is the first of three flights planned with Pakistan International Airlines to fill urgent shortages in medicines and medical supplies in Afghanistan.

“The support of the Pakistani people has been timely and life-saving,” said Dr Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. While WHO is working with partners to ensure more shipments to the country, the agency said a reliable humanitarian air bridge is urgently required, to scale up the collective humanitarian effort.

Tens of millions of vulnerable Afghans remain in the country and the work of meeting their needs is now just beginning, said the agency adding that the world cannot now divert its attention from the people of Afghanistan at this critical time.

Afghanistan kids

Adding his voice to the appeal, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi has urged the international community to help the many millions in need in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries.

In an appeal on Monday for long-term solutions for Afghans whose lives have been blighted by 40 years of war, the UN Refugee chief said that although thousands had managed to escape via Kabul airport, “there will still be millions who need the international community to act”.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) have called on the Taliban to honour their pledge to protect Afghan women and girls, and to respect and fulfil the human rights enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. (ANI)

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-Top News Afghanistan

Afghan children at greater risk than ever: UNICEF

With the conflict in the country intensifying, children have been forced from their homes and cut off from their schools and friends…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan children have paid the heaviest price in recent weeks of increased conflict and insecurity, said a UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) senior official, adding that the world “cannot abandon them now”.

George Laryea-Adjei, Regional Director for UNICEF South Asia, said: “Now, with a security crisis, skyrocketing food prices, a severe drought, the spread of COVID-19, and another harsh winter just around the corner, children are at greater risk than ever.”

The children have been deprived of basic healthcare that can protect them against polio, tetanus, and other diseases. With the conflict in the country intensifying, many have been forced from their homes and cut off from their schools and friends, UN News reported.

The UNICEF has predicted that if the current trend continues, one million under-fives in Afghanistan will face severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition.

Laryea-Adjei said more than four million children, including 2.2 million girls, are out of school.

Around 300,000 youngsters have been forced to flee their homes, some of whom were in bed sleeping, “and too many of them have witnessed scenes that no child should ever see”, he said.

“Children and adolescents are struggling with anxieties and fears, in desperate need of mental health support,” he added.

With some humanitarian partners considering cutting aid to Afghanistan, Laryea-Adjei voiced concern over having enough resources to keep health centers up and running, schools open, and services available to treat severely malnourished children.

The UNICEF, which has been in Afghanistan for more than six decades, continues to maintain a field presence across the country and is engaging with interlocutors to scale up the response.

The agency is currently supporting mobile health and nutrition teams at camps for displaced people, and setting up child-friendly spaces, nutrition hubs, and vaccination sites, while also prepositioning additional lifesaving supplies and supporting thousands of students in community-based education classes. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Does US humiliation in Afghanistan spell curtains on forever wars?

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-Top News India News

Portal launched for applications under ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme

Portal pmcaresforchildren.in for the purpose, and the module on child registration and identification of beneficiaries has been made functional and will be regularly updated with necessary information…reports Asian Lite News.

The Centre has launched a web portal to facilitate submission of applications and identification of children eligible to receive support under the ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme.

The scheme was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The scheme aims to ensure comprehensive care and protection of such children in a sustained manner, enabling their wellbeing through health insurance, empowering them through education, and equipping them for self-sufficient existence with financial support of Rs 10 lakh, on reaching 23 years of age.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the web-based portal pmcaresforchildren.in for the purpose, and the module on child registration and identification of beneficiaries has been made functional and will be regularly updated with necessary information.

Chief Secretaries of all states and Administrators of all Union Territories have been asked to direct the District Magistrates to identify the children eligible for receiving support under the scheme and provide the portal with the details to enable prompt assistance to these children. States and UTs have also been advised to take steps for registration of children which needs to be completed within the next 15 days. The Ministry has also requested the Chief Secretaries and Administrators to personally monitor the progress of data entry in the portal

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-Top News UAE News

Virtual summer camp for children to adopt healthy lifestyles

Themed “Together for a fun summer”, the event will run from 4th July to 15th August, 2021…reports Asian Lite News

The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has announced the launch of a virtual summer camp to encourage children to adopt healthy lifestyles during the summer.

Themed “Together for a fun summer”, the event will run from 4th July to 15th August, 2021, targeting children and adolescents aged 6 to 15. It will feature a wide range of educational, physical and recreational activities including the “Healthy Cooking”, a programme that will give children the opportunity to learn how to prepare simple and healthy meals.

The list of activities also includes “Gym with you” initiative, which will see organising physical exercises by sports coaches to encourage and motivate children to practice physical activity.

This is in addition to the “Little Chef” programme, which features a series of educational classes and practical cooking workshops to train children on the basics and rules of choosing healthy products and cooking methods. The course will teach participants how to prepare healthy meals and compete to win the title of “Little Chef”.

A wide range of awareness workshops will also be held to discuss various health topics, provide children with necessary health information and promote children awareness on how to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Speaking in the occasion, Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary of the Ministry’s Health Centres and Clinics Sector, lauded the launch of the virtual summer camp, saying it comes in line with MoHAP’s awareness programmes launched to promote preventive patterns, behaviours and sound practices among children.

“The ministry attaches utmost attention to properly develop healthy generations, ensure their psychological and physical safety, and enhance the level of health care services provided in accordance with the best international practices,” Al Rand said.

He emphasised that the virtual camp will support the ministry’s plans aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles to prevent diseases and encouraging the public, especially children, to adopt healthy lifestyles.

“The camp will include a series of initiatives and interesting activities that would focus on establishing healthy nutritional practices and promoting physical activity among children. It will also support the goals of the National Plan to Combat Childhood Obesity and help achieve the national strategy to reduce childhood obesity, given that it is an advanced national priority,” he continued.

For her part, Dr. Nouf Khamis Al Ali, Deputy Director, Health Education and Promotion Department, MoHAP, stressed that the virtual camp represents a golden opportunity for children and young people to invest their time during the summer and gain knowledge about ways to promote healthy lifestyles through awareness initiatives and workshops that will be delivered creatively to achieve the maximum benefit.

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-Top News India News World News

India concerned over recruitment of children for terror

There is a need for a more coordinated approach in implementing the child protection and counter terrorism agendas, said F S Shringla…reports Asian Lite News

India on Monday expressed its concern over “a dangerous and worrying trend in global terrorism” as increasing number of children are being recruited for terrorism-related activities.

“We are witnessing a dangerous and worrying trend in global terrorism and that is an increase in the number of children that are being recruited and involved in terrorism-related activities. Terror groups take advantage of the fact that children are the most susceptible to manipulation,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said at the UNSC open debate on children and armed conflict.

The Foreign Secretary said school closures due to the pandemic have provided an even greater opportunity to these terrorist groups to target children, including through online avenues, for radicalization and indoctrination in violent extremist ideologies.

“We believe that there is a need for a more coordinated approach in implementing the child protection and counter terrorism agendas. States need to demonstrate greater political will to hold the perpetrators of terrorism and their sponsors to account, and to fulfill the Council’s child protection obligations,” he maintained.

“We also call for ending impunity for all actors responsible for inciting and perpetrating grave violations against children. There must be greater accountability and sincere efforts in bringing the perpetrators to justice by governments from whose territory such entities operate,” he further said.

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Stating that a close cooperation between the United Nations and its Member States concerned is critical for developing an effective and sustainable policy for repatriation and reintegration of children affected by armed conflict, he said States should adopt an inclusive approach to provide protection to child victims during the rehabilitation and reintegration process in post-conflict situations.

The Foreign Secretary emphasized on the importance of having sufficient resources and requisite number of child protection advisers in peacekeeping missions for the effective implementation of child protection programmes.

“The Council may consider incorporating adequate child protection provisions and capacities in all relevant mandates of UN peacekeeping operations,” Shringla said.

However, he regretted that despite the Council’s clear mandate, “we note with concern that the Secretary General’s report includes allegations that are not situations of armed conflict or threats to the maintenance of international peace and security.”

“We must be cautious as attempts to selectively expand the mandate politicizes the agenda, diverting attention from real threats to international peace and security and to children in armed conflict,” the Foreign Secretary added.

“We note with appreciation that the engagement of the United Nations, particularly the office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, with parties engaged in armed conflict has resulted in the release of 12,643 children over the last year. This positive trend must continue,” he said. (INN)

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Sanjana changes priority amid Covid

To help people deal with the pandemic, Sanjana started a mental health campaign titled Here To Hear. She has teamed up with Save The Children offer support in remote parts of India with the mission “Protect A Million”…writes Anjuri Nayar Singh.

Pandemic has affected the lifestyle and routines of every individual in society including the stars of the film industry. Actress Sanjana Sanghi says trying to concentrate on work has been challenging at a time when the country battles the second wave of Covid-19. Work, she adds, is not top priority in her mind and focusing has been a challenge.

“Creatively, to zone in has been a challenge. Reading a script while I am pivoting programmes and trying to get oxygen concentrators to a tribal area has been a challenge that I haven’t experienced before. So, the focus has been shifty for sure,” she told.

She adds: “Luckily, somehow the last lockdown taught us a lot, that was the first time that we from our relentless hectic schedule from being in different cities and being on set all the time, we experienced what it’s like to be how to be locked in at home. That was tougher. The second wave came out of the blue to a degree that somehow the work aspect of it has not been the predominant thought. All my actor friends are focusing on making sure that family is safe, they are safe and it’s one of those times when you know you will get back up when time is right. Taking on anxiety on that is no benefit because it’s our responsibility to get back to work only when it’s absolutely safe.”

To help people deal with the pandemic, Sanjana started a mental health campaign titled Here To Hear. She has teamed up with Save The Children offer support in remote parts of India with the mission “Protect A Million”.

“When the second wave hit, it felt completely natural to pivot into figuring out how to extend and contribute. I saw that everyone was coming together and doing incredible work. Hear To Hear was to fill this gap. I felt that amidst all this, we were being able to help with supplies, but the emotional aspect will be devasting in the long term. With this programme, we have been able to achieve that,” says Sanjana, who starred opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in the actor’s last film “Dil Bechara” last year.

She adds: “There are stigmas associated with psychological help or even anxiety. The response to the programme was overwhelming. Within three to four hours, the slots filled up and we had to double up on manpower. It hit where it was intended to. With Save The Children, it’s a grander mission, over a period of time. We are focussing on cities and there is chaos in the interiors of India. We don’t know the extent of their misery. These are communities where basic food, shelter is tough in normal times. So, with the virus has made it worse.”

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