2015 is the third time that ASCHIANA has applied for the Sharjah/IBBY Fund to continue the operation of their mobile library program. The continued program is primarily intended as a long-term reading program for a conflict/post conflict situation, benefiting children living in refugee camps, in orphanages, in conflict with the law in juvenile rehabilitation centers, and in different disability centers. Since they have already implemented this project in 2013 and 2014 there will be a short training refresher course for staff members who already worked on the project previously or the newly recruited staff. This allows for less time for training and more time for the program activities to be implemented in a better way. The project operates in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and this year will add new locations in the Paktya province. The AFBBY is now very popular among formal departments in the government and that is why they are now able to increase their program activities to the remote areas of Afghanistan. Areas where there is very little attention given to education and almost no respect for child rights.

The project will provide training for 4 library assistants, 8 reading assistants, and 4 storytellers, 1 art trainer, and one project coordinator who will use art and visual media to link to stories and stimulate the children’s interests. This time they will procure new books as in the last project they received different recommendations from the community elders and from school children regarding new books.

As a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in 2014, the Al-Ataa library was completely destroyed leaving 12 children dead and the Al- Shawka library was partially damaged leaving 5 children dead. Al-Sikah small library is being used as a temporary replacement for the Al-Ataa library until it is rebuilt. In spite of the situation resulting after the Israeli aggression/war and their location in the most affected and marginalized areas, the two libraries have manifested, since 2008, good success despite the very limited support, which was received mainly from the Sharjah/IBBY Fund.

The Palestinian Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) will receive support from the Sharjah/IBBY Fund in 2015 to continue their very important project. This funding will help in rebuilding of the libraries’ book collections, supporting the traumatized children through bibliotherapy, socio-psychological support, stress relief and creative activities based on books. They will also be rebuilding the libraries by providing needed equipment. Moreover, PBBY will upgrade work in the libraries by providing quality training for the librarians/facilitators as well.

The Sharjah/IBBY Fund and PBBY strongly believe that books are essential in crisis areas as a vitally important therapeutic tool for moral and spiritual growth. Bibliotherapy, psycho-social therapy and creative activities will help children to cope with trauma, relieve stress and depression, and will support literacy and the love of reading.