DUBAI // More than 1,000 children learnt how to protect themselves from abuse at a family friendly carnival.
The two-day fair yesterday and on Thursday was organised by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children as part of its campaign to protect youngsters.
The organisation is campaigning on the topic because this month is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
"In the first day alone about 1,000 children joined the carnival and learnt about the subject," said Shams Al Mehairi, the public relations and partnerships manager at the foundation, yesterday.
"Today more children are coming and many families are stopping by to find out about the activity and the foundation and learn about how to educate children on child abuse."
The campaign, "Protect Childhood, It's Precious", aims to educate parents and empower the public to take action in the prevention of child abuse.
"People have been encouraging us and told us there is really a need for such activities to spread awareness," Ms Al Mehairi said.
The carnival, at Mirdif City Centre, was aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 12. They played games, painted and read books that had key messages about protecting themselves from abuse.
"I volunteered to help organise this event as community work is important, but also because it is important to teach children of their rights," said Amer Al Za'abi, who works for Dubai public prosecution.
"Through my work I hear about many child-abuse cases, therefore this subject is important."
Emirati Fatima Almari, 12, also volunteered. "I love to help people, and in this event I am helping children my age to learn how they can protect themselves," she said.
The carnival included puppet shows and face-painting to entertain children.
Goodie bags were handed out and contained a small exercise book that alerted readers about signs of abuse and included the helpline of the foundation.
Alaa Alshayyah, a mother of three children aged between 2 and 7, said teaching through play would help youngsters learn.
"When children do things with their hands they will remember things much better," she said.
Ms Alshayyah said having such an event helped reach parents who did not know anything about the dangers.
She said she did not know the carnival was being held, but that many families could learn something valuable from the event.
Noor Krishan, a mother of three, said she did not know what the campaign was about but had stopped to give her boys, ages 5 and 6, the chance to play and paint. "I did not know what the carnival was about but it is definitely an area one needs to shed light on," she said. "It is important, especially in the UAE where there are many different nationalities and values."
Her husband, Mohammed Kosa, said such events were good but more had to be done to raise awareness about the subject.
"It is good they are targeting families in malls but they should be reaching out more to schools, not only to educate the children on the issue but, more importantly, also the teachers because they play an important part in educating children," he said.
wissa@thenational.ae
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
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Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
