Oxy Qatar sponsors four new books for children
Date
5/29/2016 9:52:54 PM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Officials with children at the sponsorship event.
Doha: Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd (Oxy Qatar) has sponsored writer Maryam Al Subaiey, Founder of Q Talent, to write four children’s books as part of an initiative to support local talent.
The books will be 100 percent Qatari production and illustrator Sultan Al Subaiey is also one of local talents who contributed to them.
All stories are inspired by Qatari culture and environment and for local children. The books are bi-lingual to also enable expatriates’ children to learn about local culture and traditions.
Three of the books are about siblings — Hamad and Hissa — who go through different situations to learn about home safety, road safety, and environmental awareness.
The fourth is about a forgotten tradition children used to perform during the season of pilgrims. The tradition is called Heya Beya, and the story talks about a little girl, Al Dana, in the pre-oil era where she learns about this tradition and performs it with friends.
Stephen A Kelly, President and General Manager, Oxy Qatar, said:“Oxy dedicates the books to the children of Qatar. We are very pleased to work with talented author Al Subaiey, who has written a collection of four books: Safety in our House; The Road to My School; Truffle Hunt; and Ya Heyetee Ya Beyetee.
“Oxy has had the privilege of operating in Qatar for more than 20 years. We are committed to supporting Qatar National Vision 2030 through our social responsibility programme designed to help Oxy become a partner of choice – in Qatar and everywhere we operate.
“One of our focus areas is to promote local art and culture by enhancing awareness and access, particularly among young people,” he said
The stories and original illustrations in the four books aim at encouraging reading and learning and building awareness about important issues. The stories are told in an interactive and engaging way and set in Qatar.
One of the books is inspired by a familiar Qatari traditional story and encourages the reader to learn about the country’s heritage, while the other three deal with safety and environmental issues.
“All of us at Oxy believe this beautiful books will be enjoyable and inspiring to everyone who reads them,” he said.
Al Subaiey said: “It was a great experience working with Oxy on the project as I haven’t published anything new for a long time.
“Their support enabled me to get out of my comfort zone and be creative again. I am also pleased that for the first time, I produced bi-lingual books. I am sure we will see more talents supported by the recently launched Mawaheb competition,” she added.
The Peninsula