CAIRO: In celebration of the Universal Children’s Day (UCD), people are invited to adopt a child for one day and make them feel like they are part of a family.
This is the theme behind this Friday’s “4 Our Kids UCD event in Maadi, which will team volunteers with orphans, forming a family unit that will participate in fun activities and competitions.
Instead of organizing seminars and conferences, Mohamed El Koossy, chairman of 4 Our Kids explained, “the whole idea is to celebrate Children’s Day with the children . involve the children. “We want to show people that it is easy, said El Koossy, referring to adopting orphans. Some people are concerned that they won’t live up to the commitment of regularly visiting, much less adopting, orphans. The aim of this celebration is to break this barrier by acquainting people with the idea of dealing with orphans, El Koossy explained.
Sixty children aged 5-12 from Ahbab Allah Orphanage will participate. The organization limited the number of children to make sure that each one gets individual attention.
“Families, singles, friends, couples, anyone with or without children, are equally encouraged to join, read the invitation. Children will be paired with adults – whether whole families with their own children or individuals – to form “family units.
These family units will compete with each other and enjoy a barbecue lunch, drinks, popcorn, cotton candy and other treats throughout the day. Entertainment will also be available, including clowns, magicians, face painting and a trampoline, among others.
In 2005, the same organization celebrated UCD by inviting children to break the Guinness Record of the biggest handprint painting (240 square meters) made by children. Although the Egypt record was broken days later, the 2005 event marked a memorable celebration featuring about 2,000 children.
With drawings of scenes from around the world – the Giza Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, and Big Ben – the painting was “symbolic of how the children will hold the world, El Koossy said.
4 Our Kids is not an NGO, he noted; it is the only institution of public consciousness in the country. It applies the business mentality of partnering with the private sector to ensure sustainable funding for the projects.
Fulfilling the wishes of terminally ill children will be the focus of the organization’s upcoming project “My Dream.
For registration and more details about the event, contact Mohamed El Koossy ([email protected]) or Asya Elahi ([email protected]). Admission is free but spaces are limited so register beforehand.
