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NURTURING CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THE

NURTURING CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST NURTURING CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

OUR COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN’S EDUCATION is to partner with local and international organizations, NGOs, and the media to promote and support childhood education as a precursor to success in life.

Responsibility Context

Investment in Early Childhood INDEVCO member companies, Sanita values and facilitate the right to Development (ECD) in the Middle in , and Napco Consumer education for children through early East and North Africa (MENA) is Products in , have adulthood. 1 cited among the lowest in the world . introduced education interventions UNICEF and the World Bank link ECD UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank, to parents, identified in the World to UN Sustainable Development among others, have developed Bank’s Stepping Up Early Childhood Goal SDG4 for access to inclusive frameworks to guide policy makers Development as key areas for high and quality education and lifelong and practitioners in how to invest in returns, not only for individuals and opportunities for all3. young children, linking ECD directly families, but also communities and to children’s ability to contribute society2. Impact is measured by meaningfully to society. Given partnerships, engagement and reach that many governments have strict across countries. budgets, the private sector has an INDEVCO provides support to important role to play. Georges N. Frem Foundation initiatives that disseminate core

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Educate a Child, Build a Nation Program 3allem Walad Btibni Balad , Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, , Yemen

Impact • Produced and broadcast the 3allem Walad Btibni Balad From 2015 through 2016, Napco Consumer Products teamed up television ad on MBC pan-Arab with , celebrity singer and UNICEF Regional Goodwill television, Zee Aflam Indian Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa, to advocate for satellite television, and Saudi TV early childhood education in the Arabian Gulf, the most unequal with a GRP of 10,328 and 66.8% aspect of Early Childhood Development in the region4. reach; distributed over 450,000 free on-pack educational The Sanita Bambi® brand program, Educate a Child, Build a gifts during the period of the Nation, inspired by UNICEF’s mission to improve young children’s broadcast capacity to develop and learn, aligns with UN SDG4 (Target 4.2) calling for quality early childhood development and care. Napco • Used Facebook from October Consumer Products team believed that Nancy Ajram’s commitment through November to engage and popularly would raise the profile of positive early interaction 31,925 women and reach over between mother and child. 550,000 women from 18-45 years old in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, The program’s integrated communications reached mothers Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and through a TV ad featuring Nancy Ajram broadcast across Pan-Arab Yemen channels, a Facebook campaign, and hospital sample visits to new • Distributed over 61,500 Get into mothers in Saudi Arabia. The Bambi brand team also exhibited at your Child’s World booklets and the Kingdom’s most popular family trade show, Kids in Motion. Bambi baby diaper samples to new mothers in 32 hospitals in Saudi Arabia, as well as samples in Qatar (8,000), Kuwait (5,000), Oman (2,000), and Bahrain (150) • Engaged with 4,000 families and distributed over 3,500 Bambi educational game gift packs in the Kids In Motion trade shows in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of an Imagine Tomorrow campaign

Brands used by Napco are licensed from INDEVCO. https://www.facebook.com/BambibySanita/

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Raising Creativity Initiative Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Impact • Developed and shared 3 videos - What You See What Baby Sees, Get Messy, and Open Minded - In December 2016, Sanita Bambi® baby diaper brand launched the Raising Creativity social media campaign to educate mothers on Facebook, Instagram, about the importance of stimulating their children’s creativity. , and YouTube Coinciding with the alliance between UNICEF and the World • Used social media Bank in April 2016 to promote investment in early childhood 5 throughout December to development programs , the campaign aligns with UN SDG4 engage 48,057 women (Target 4.2). and reach over 1,065,340 As per UNICEF, evidence suggests that if the brain of a child does women from 18-45 years old not receive significant stimulation early, when the brain is being in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, wired and neuron connections established, it will be very difficult Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, to rewire it at older ages 6. and Yemen The Raising Creativity campaign helped mothers understand creativity characteristics in their children and provided tips on how to inspire creativity and help children thrive. One major aspect of early psychosocial development includes children learning to express themselves creatively through imaginative play, arts and crafts, music, and dance7.

Brands used by Napco are licensed from INDEVCO. https://www.facebook.com/BambibySanita/

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Paradis d’Enfants Non-Profit Primary Schools Lebanon

Impact In 3 schools in the Kesrwan region of INDEVCO supports Paradis d’Enfants association, established in Lebanon: 1997 by INDEVCO founder, Georges N. Frem, after creating ‘The Friends of Public Schools’ nearly 20 years ago. Paradis d’Enfants • Educated over 2,000 launched its first non-profit primary school with 33 students. Today, underprivileged primary school over 2,000 students from districts across Lebanon are educated in students from across Lebanon three schools in Jounieh and Ghosta.

• Employed over 175 teachers In 2016, Paradis d’Enfants piloted the Educating for Peace: Conflict Resolution and Civic Education in Lebanese Schools project funded • Oriented around 1,100 alumni to by US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). The association higher education opportunities partnered with NGOs, Min Ila and Sawiian, during the 2016-2017 • Worked directly with 425 families school year to educate students, parents, and teachers from to improve aspects of family life different socioeconomic and religious backgrounds on conflict- resolution, peaceful co-existence, and acceptance. The program • Trained 500 students, 50 parents, addressed UN SDG4 (Target 4.7) for learners to acquire necessary and 40 teachers from 5 schools knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, in Lebanon on conflict-resolution including equality and acceptance of diversity. in the 2016/2017 Educating for Paradis d’Enfants strongly believes in the right to a quality Peace: Conflict Resolution and education for every child of a needy family and builds on Georges Civic Education in Lebanese Frem’s dream of a non-profit school that would inspire and serve Schools project funded by MEPI as a role model. With a far-reaching mission, the school involves the entire community – students, teachers, and parents – in the civic education of future constructive citizens. Students develop openness, a strong sense of national belonging, and the capacity to think for themselves.

In order to ensure student success and to reduce drop-out rates, Paradis d’Enfants orients students to high school and university opportunities, as well as job placement, across Lebanon.

The school’s Social Welfare Office works directly with families to improve aspects of family life to create a healthier home environment. In addition, community support and volunteerism are part of Paradis d’Enfants’ mission, as the school actively involves civil society in its mission to expand and grow with the community.

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Théâtre Athénée Lebanon

Impact

• Hosted 6 plays performed by locally renowned producers INDEVCO supports Théâtre Athénée as a platform for self- and by Théâtre Athénée expression and creativity that aims to educate, challenge and workshop students: inspire children and young adults. - Attended by 60,907 children, of which over It is the first permanent kids’ theatre in the Middle East established 4,000 children were in 2003 by the Georges N. Frem Foundation. The theatre’s mission invited to view the is based on the dissemination of essential values and the sense productions of belonging, including those of the family, of citizenship, and of being part of a nation. The theatre contributes to UN SDG4 • Conducted 3 drama, 1 TV, (target 4.2) by teaching creativity and encouraging confidence as and 2 singing workshops to a means of early childhood development. 130 children between 7–16 years old The theater offers drama, dance, singing and TV workshops all year round. The workshop programs are an artistic platform to • Hosted 9 events for encourage creativity and public speaking skills and to reinforce associations, TV networks, self-confidence. From stimulating imaginative role-playing to nurseries and schools end-of-session live performances with an audience, students are constantly challenged and become part of a rewarding and fun experience.

To further disseminate outreach of the theatre’s productions, a partnership was formed with Télé Lumière’s Nour Kids TV, so the plays are broadcast for a wider audience. In 2016, Go Go Matelots, Tartes aux Pommes and The Descendants were some of the productions aired.

Théâtre Athénée also invites external parties to benefit from the space if they wish to stage short-term plays and/or workshops with an educational and cultural message that share the same values and ethos.

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References

1 El-Kogali, Safaa & Krafft, Caroline (2015). Expanding opportunities for the next generation: Early childhood development in the Middle East and North Africa. Directions in Development--Human Development; Washington, DC: World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/21287 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.

2 World Bank Group Human Development Network (2014). Stepping up early childhood development: Investing in young children for high returns. www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/ WDSP/IB/2016/04/12/090224b0842841fa/2_0/Rendered/PDF/Stepping0up0ea0ren0for0high0returns.pdf

3 Wahlen, S.B. (2016, April 19). World Bank, UNICEF establish alliance to advance early childhood develop- ment. International Institute for Sustainable Development SDG Knowledge Hub. http://sdg.iisd.org/news/ world-bank-unicef-establish-alliance-to-advance-early-childhood-development/

4 Krafft, C. & El-Kogali, S. (2014, November). Inequalities in early childhood development in the Middle East and North Africa. Economic Research Forum. http://erf.org.eg/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/856.pdf

5 Wahlen, S.B. (2016, April 19). World Bank, UNICEF establish alliance to advance early childhood develop- ment. International Institute for Sustainable Development SDG Knowledge Hub. http://sdg.iisd.org/news/ world-bank-unicef-establish-alliance-to-advance-early-childhood-development/

6 UNICEF(n.d.) Early childhood development: The key to a full and productive life. https://www.unicef.org/ dprk/ecd.pdf

7 UNICEF(n.d.) Early childhood development: The key to a full and productive life. https://www.unicef.org/ dprk/ecd.pdf

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