Cultivating a lifelong love for reading

With your support, Ibn Rushd Library continues to provide valuable services to the children of Al Aqaba Village, making a positive difference in their lives. It has become a happy space for children, a place to get away from their challenging environment and the ensuing uncertainty and insecurity of life in a village that is greatly impacted by the Israeli military occupation.

Libraries are essential for the growth and development of children. Introduction to reading early on in their lives has many benefits for children. It cultivates a lifelong love for reading and helps with their ability to focus and concentrate. In a recent reading activity, organized in collaboration with the Red Crescent, the children discussed the stories they were reading. This activity contributed positively to their communication and social skills. While older children can read books on their own, younger children need help with reading. That’s why Shafeqa holds storytelling sessions for younger children.

Reading also stimulates imagination and creativity. Shafeqa understands that the developing brain of a child benefits from this exercise. Therefore, she asked the children to use their imagination to sketch their favorite character from the book they have been reading. Children indulged in this freehand drawing activity and made imaginary characters. 

Ibn Rushd Library also provides a safe space for the community to come together. To develop a sense of community, Shafeqa invited children and their mothers to participate in a session in which they were asked to draw and paint their homes. This participatory session helped children and mothers to express how they see their homes and what they like or dislike. This simple activity helped children and mothers to express themselves freely and helped them bond.  

Talented librarian Sahfeqa continues to work on developing her skills. She actively participates in library training sessions for local librarians. In the pictures below, you can see her participating in a session on adolescents and how to help them get through this phase. She also participated in a training held by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) on providing psychological support to the children in Area C of the West Bank. Shafeqa is now holding weekly meetings with the children and helping them talk about their challenges. 

Shafeqa has many plans for the future of the library. She believes that the library can benefit from a technological upgrade with the addition of computers and visual tools such as projectors that can help her organize community services. 

Your support for Ibn Rushd Library is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your gift that supports the children of Al Aqaba and their love of reading!

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