NURTURING CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT in the Middle East

1INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

OUR COMMITMENT to Children’s Wellbeingis 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 CONTEXTEarly childhood development (ECD) programs have a profound impact on health, education, cognitive ability, and emotional development.1 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and The World Bank further link ECD directly to the long-term success of children and their ability to contribute meaningfully to the society and economy. As technology advances, the digital economy places increasing importance on cognitive reasoning, communication, and learning, skills greatly impacted by ECD.2

Investment in ECD in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is cited among the lowest in the world.3 Lack of proper governmental investment or availability of sufficient public institutions in the region puts underprivileged children at higher risk for stunted development and limited

access to early childhood development services and programs.4-5 Accordingly, responsibility of the private sector to support or launch accessible programs is critical.

Napco National’s consumer disposables brands, licensed from INDEVCO, have targeted social media initiatives to parents and care takers focused on parenting and children’s early learning, safety, and hygiene in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal SDG3 Good Health and Wellbeing.6 In addition, INDEVCO supports Georges N. Frem Foundation initiatives that disseminate core values and provide equal educational opportunities for children, consistent with SDG4 Quality Education7 and SDG17 Partnerships.8

Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East

2INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

Early Learning InitiativesOUTCOMES

Napco National launched Sanita Bambi® brand’s early learning initiatives via social media to increase awareness of the importance of creativity and imagination, parental presence, and positive wording for children’s healthy development. These initiatives align with UN SDG4 (Target 4.2) to ensure that girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development and pre-primary education, so that they are ready for primary education.

Sanita Bambi® brand team engaged with parents and children at Kids in Motion, Saudi Arabia’s popular family trade show.

Reach

2.5 million+ women aged 18 - 45 years in 7 Arab countries

Social Media Content6 Arabic-language educational videos broadcast over Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube

Impact

RAISING CREATIVITY INITIATIVEWith millions of children not reaching their full potential due to lack of early stimulation, learning, and care,9 UNICEF has allied with The World Bank to promote investment in ECD programs.10

Sanita Bambi®’s Raising Creativity initiative focused on educating parents and caregivers about children’s imaginations and how they learn through play, experimentation, and exploration. Self-expression skills, such as arts and crafts, music, dance, and imaginative play, especially before the age of four, set the foundation for future success and wellbeing.11

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Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East

3INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

Long-term success is highly dependent on positive interpersonal relationships during the first years of life.12

Sanita Bambi®’s Life is Short initiative encouraged mother-child bonding, aligning with The World Bank’s emphasis that early childhood experiences have a profound impact on brain development—affecting learning, health, and behavior.13

Life is Short used video and social media posts to communicate tips for creating and recording memorable experiences.

LIFE IS SHORT (EL 3OMER GHAFLI) INITIATIVE

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Building on the discipline of positive parenting, Sanita Bambi®’s Words initiative emphasized how parents and educators can reframe words to give positive direction rather than emphasize children’s poor behavior.

Positive communication with toddlers and children builds mutual respect between parent and child and directly influences the child’s sense of self worth and confidence.14

Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East

4INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

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Napco National launched Sanita® Hand Sanitizer brand Back-to-School hygiene program in 6 Arabian Gulf countries in alignment with Global Handwashing Day on 15 October. The initiative, directed at parents and teachers, communicated the importance of handwashing at critical times to prevent disease and save lives. Three expert how-to videos featuring medical doctors were broadcast over social media channels.

Impact

Reach

Posts reached 220,000+ men and women aged 18 - 55 years old in 6 Arab countries

Videos viewed 85,000+ times

Social Media Content

3 Arabic-language expert videos broadcast over Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube

Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East

SANITA® BACK-TO-SCHOOL HYGIENE PROGRAM

5INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

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Quality Education

Impact

In 3 schools in the Kesrwan region of Lebanon:

Educated 2000+ primary school students in want across Lebanon

Employed 200+ teachers

Oriented nearly 1,300 alumni to higher education opportunities

Worked directly with 500 families to improve aspects of family life

Trained 500 students, 50 parents, and 40 teachers from 5 schools in Lebanon on conflict-resolution in 2016/2017 Educating for Peace: Conflict Resolution and Civic Education in Lebanese Schools project funded by MEPI

INDEVCO supports Paradis d’Enfants association, established in 1997 by INDEVCO founder, Georges N. Frem. Paradis d’Enfants runs three non-profit primary schools in Jounieh and Ghosta that provide quality education for children in need.

The school’s Social Welfare Office works directly with families to improve aspects of family life to create a healthier home environment. The association also orients students to high school and university opportunities and job placement in Lebanon.

Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East

PARADIS D’ENFANTS NON-PROFIT PRIMARY SCHOOLS

During the 2017 academic year, Paradis d’Enfants, along with NGOs Min Ila and Sawiian, concluded its participation in Educating for Peace: Conflict Resolution and Civic Education in Lebanese Schools, a project funded by the US-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). The initiative engaged students, parents, and teachers.

This support aligns with UN SDG4 (Target 4.7) facilitating opportunities for both boys and girls to acquire necessary knowledge and skills and promoting diversity.

6INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

THÉÂTRE ATHÉNÉE

Impact

Hosted 8 plays executed by locally renowned producers and performed by Théâtre Athénée workshop students:

Attended by 59,800+ children, including 3,800+ children invited free of charge Broadcast on Télé Lumière’s NourKids TV channel in Lebanon

Conducted 12 drama, dance, singing, and chess workshops to nearly 270 children aged 7-15 years old

Hosted 7 events for associations, nurseries and schools

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INDEVCO supports Théâtre Athénée, established by the Georges N. Frem Foundation in 2003 as a platform for self-expression and participation. Théâtre Athénée initiates and produces plays and workshops, which encourage creativity and build confidence and social skills.

In 2017, Théâtre Athénée performed English and French plays: Top Hero, Let’s Dance, Kingdom of Music, Louna Go Go Matelots,

Vers une autre Planete, Louna et le Nuage de Noel, Les Prisonniers du Chateau D’is, and Chateau D’is. Performances were broadcast by Télé Lumière’s Nour Kids TV from Lebanon to a wider audience.

Support for the theater contributes to UN SDG4 (Target 4.2) by facilitating the teaching of creativity, family values, and peace as a means of early childhood education.

7INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

1 The World Bank – Education for Global Development (16 Jan., 2017). Early childhood as the foundation for tomorrow’s workforce. https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/early-childhood-foundation-tomorrow-s-workforce

2 The World Bank (2015). Early Childhood Development in Lebanon. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lebanon/publication/ecd2015

3 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.

4 The World Bank (Oct. 2017). Early Childhood Development. www.worldbank.org/en/topic/earlychildhooddevelopment

5 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

6 United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Sustainable Development Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg3

7 United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Sustainable Development Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg4

8 United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Sustainable Development Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg17

9 The World Bank – Education for Global Development (16 Jan., 2017). Early childhood as the foundation for tomorrow’s workforce. https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/early-childhood-foundation-tomorrow-s-workforce

REFERENCES

Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East

8INDEVCO Social Responsibility 2017

REFERENCES10 Wahlen, S.B. (2016, April 19). World Bank, UNICEF establish alliance to advance early childhood development. International Institute for Sustainable Development SDG Knowledge Hub. http://sdg.iisd.org/news/world-bank-unicef-establish-alliance-to-advance-early-childhood-development/

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

12 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3115616/

13 The World Bank (Oct. 2017). Early childhood development. www.worldbank.org/en/topic/earlychildhooddevelopment

14 Child Development Institute. Guidelines for parent-child communication. https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/how-to-be-a-parent/communication/#.W0cy_dIzbIU

Nurturing Childhood Development in the Middle East