The royal wants to see us reading to our kids…
It must be a day that ends with Y: HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein has given us another reason to love her.
This time around, she’s encouraging parents to share books with their children. It’s not just for the sake of a lovely family moment, either. As the princess points out, literacy starts at home, and has far-reaching implications for a child’s life.
“UNESCO views acquiring and improving literacy skills throughout life as an intrinsic part of the right to education,” she wrote on Instagram. “The ‘multiplier effect’ of literacy empowers people, enables them to participate fully in society and contributes to improve livelihoods.”
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According to UNESCO, at least 758 million adults worldwide still can’t read and write, and 250 million children aren’t learning the literacy skills they’ll need to fully participate in life. Those are alarming numbers, and Princess Haya points out that in terms of setting your child up for a fulfilling life, literacy is key.
“Literacy is also a driver for sustainable development in that it enables greater participation in the labour market; improved child and family health and nutrition; reduces poverty and expands life opportunities,” she said.
Extremely well said, we think. Princess Haya made the post just a few days after honouring Mother Theresa and encouraging us all to give to charity, something she knows a lot about herself. In February, the royal donated Dhs145 million to help stop hunger in Jordan.
Images: HRH Princess Haya/Instagram, Dubai Media Office
