Continuing its mission to increase children’s awareness about important issues in their environments, the Child Safety Department (CSD), an affiliate of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), has organised a series of storytelling sessions at the ongoing 9th edition of the Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth (SIFF).

Throughout the 6-day event at the Al Jawaher Reception and Convention Centre (JRCC), the CSD department will host three engaging activities to raise festival visitors’ awareness on various child safety topics, such as home safety, getting lost in public spaces, and child abuse.

On Wednesday, the third day of SIFF, children seated on beanbags enjoying fresh steamy popcorn listened intently to Nahla Hamadan, Deputy Director of CSD, narrating a story titled Masood Al Batal, which taught young listeners basic safety measures to observe at home.

The young attendees learned of the dangers of some items found inside homes and highlighted the proper ways to store them away from children’s hands to parents and adults attending the session.

CSD also held a storytelling session titled Al Batta Tamtam, where children were taught the difference between good and bad secrets. The story aims to educate children on child abuse.

As part of the storytelling sessions, CSD will gauge with children through the short story Nuzha Fil Souq, highlighting the importance of caution and refraining from engaging with strangers in public places when their parents aren’t around.

Nahla Hamadan, Deputy Director of CSD, said: “The department is keen on engaging with children and youth to raise their awareness on several important topics, which makes SIFF the perfect platform that helps us deliver our messages to the younger generation and make them resonate in a joyful and fun-filled environment.”

Operating under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of SCFA, the Child Safety Department’s primary goal is to raise awareness on children’s safety, protection, and social stability by ensuring that they are physically and psychologically healthy in a stable and secure family environment.