SHARJAH, 11th November, 2026 (WAM) -- The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) and the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday during the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair at Expo Centre Sharjah to expand access to books and knowledge for children and young people in communities supported by humanitarian and development projects.
The partnership brings together the organisations’ efforts to organise book donation drives, establish libraries and develop reading spaces. It reflects a shared belief that children, whatever their circumstances, should have access to resources that nurture their imagination, develop their abilities and help them discover their potential.
Mariam Al Hammadi, Advisory Board Member of TBHF, and Marwa Al Aqroubi, President of UAEBBY, signed the agreement at the UAEBBY pavilion at the fair.
Following the signing, they visited TBHF’s pavilion to view the book drive activation, part of the organisations’ joint campaign to collect more than 10,000 books during the fair. The campaign welcomes new books and used books in good condition for distribution through the foundation’s humanitarian and education programmes.
The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration through TBHF’s Educate the Heart initiative and UAEBBY’s Kan Yama Kan initiative, linking the promotion of reading with the values of giving and volunteering. It encourages school and university students, libraries, educational and cultural institutions, and members of the community to help bring books to readers who need them.
Mariam Al Hammadi said, “Access to knowledge is central to our vision for humanitarian work. Children need opportunities to learn, develop their abilities and build their futures. This partnership enables us to address those needs by bringing together complementary expertise. It also gives students taking part in Educate the Heart an opportunity to see how their generosity affects the lives of other children and to understand the dreams and aspirations they share.”
She added, “Working with UAEBBY, we are committed to ensuring that the books meet real needs and to following up on their delivery and use, so that the community’s generosity creates ongoing opportunities for education and learning.”
Marwa Al Aqroubi said, “Our responsibility towards children begins with the belief that their right to knowledge endures, however difficult their circumstances may become. A book gives a child room to imagine and dream beyond the limits of their reality. This is why our partnership with The Big Heart Foundation matters: it connects expertise in cultural work with humanitarian needs.”
She added, “Through this partnership, we aim to provide lasting access to quality books suited to children’s ages and languages, and libraries they can return to as they grow. We want reading to become an integral part of their lives, helping them discover their abilities and broaden their choices for the future.”
Under the MoU, UAEBBY will lead and implement book collection campaigns across the UAE, coordinate with participating organisations, organise accompanying activities, and establish procedures for collecting, sorting and preparing books.
TBHF will identify donation destinations and beneficiary organisations in line with its humanitarian and development priorities, and provide UAEBBY with their book requirements, including languages, age groups and quantities. The foundation will also engage schools participating in Educate the Heart. Both parties will coordinate the transport, shipping and distribution of books through plans tailored to each project’s needs.
The collaboration also covers establishing and equipping new libraries, and improving existing libraries and reading spaces, within humanitarian and development projects around the world. Books, educational materials and equipment will be selected to suit the communities served, with project outcomes monitored to support long-term sustainability.
Educate the Heart was launched in 2022 under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation, to engage young people in humanitarian work and instil the values of giving and responsibility through first-hand experience.
The initiative enables students to understand humanitarian needs and respond through activities they lead themselves, while mobilising support around shared goals. Since its launch, more than 30,000 students have taken part in practical, school-led initiatives that turn the values they learn into actions that make a difference in the lives of others.