Children at Hospital 57357 enjoyed a day of storytelling and many other activities during the ‘Kids Read’ community event organised jointly by HSBC Bank Egypt and British Council Egypt in partnership with the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE) 57357 on Wednesday 5 March 2014.
The Children's Cancer Hospital Foundation (CCHF) is a non-governmental non-profit organization established in 2004. The hospital's main mandate is to offer quality care to children with cancer free of charge irrespective of their creed, race or ability to pay. HSBC Bank has been a loyal partner to support Hospital 57357 since the very beginning till this day.
“Volunteering for a good cause is an important ingredient of our Corporate Sustainability programmes and what better way to do this than promoting reading in a fun and interacting environment such as the Kids Read Programme. In this Kids Read event, our colleagues are given the chance to put a smile on the faces of the Children in 57357 Hospital through a successful partnership with the British Council and Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt (CCHE) 57357”, said Sahar El Damati, Chief Risk Officer of HSBC Bank Egypt.
Children enjoyed participating in the various activities which highlighted the value of money. The family day included two popular children’s stories, ‘The Great Pet Sale’ by Mick Inkpen and ‘Master Money the Millionaire’ by Allan Ahlberg & André Amstutz. Both stories encouraged the children to think about issues surrounding money, including choosing how to spend it, and whether it can really buy happiness.
Jonathan Gayther, Director English, British Council Egypt, said: “Kids Read is an initiative which is helping thousands of children and parents across the MENA region to realise the benefits of reading for pleasure – and through our workshops and community events they’re not only developing an appreciation of the world outside their immediate environment but they’re also building the critical thinking skills and independence that allow us to grow as individuals. Kids Read gives us an opportunity to discover and share, through story-telling, the joy, humour and mystery of the world in a way that brings us together as families and communities; something that all the technology in the world can’t compete with, so we want to encourage families to take part in the programme and look forward to seeing many more over the months ahead. “
In addition to the stories, the event included some fun hands-on activities. The children designed their own bank notes, as well as created a money tree with ‘idea leaves’ – bringing together their suggestions for how money could be spent to help the world.
In the two years it’s been running, the British Council’s award-winning ‘Kids Read’ programme has reached 35,000 children directly and indirectly across the MENA region and in Pakistan, and it continues to grow in popularity. Each event uses books to encourage children to think about important social issues.
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For further information please contact:
Rose marie Gad, Communication Manager, British Council Egypt
Tel: +(202) 3300 1851