Int’l Education Day: Protecting children from harmful life paths

January 23, 2026 / 6:17 PM

Her Excellency Alya Obaid Al Musaiebi, Director of The Big Heart Foundation

Sharjah 24: On the occasion of International Education Day, Her Excellency Alya Obaid Al Musaiebi, Director of The Big Heart Foundation, said: “On International Education Day, we reaffirm that equitable access to education remains one of the most urgent humanitarian challenges facing vulnerable communities. Education is not merely an essential service. It is a decisive factor in protecting children from dangerous paths that begin with deprivation and end in the loss of safety and the fragmentation of individuals and societies. In contexts of conflict, poverty, and displacement, the absence of school does not only mean an interruption to learning. It means the loss of the first safe space in a child’s life and the denial of the language through which they can understand the world and express themselves with dignity.”

She added: “Education plays both a protective and developmental role. Schools are environments that foster psychological and social stability, strengthen critical thinking skills, and enable children to express their needs, understand their rights, and participate positively in their communities. At The Big Heart Foundation, we approach education as a gateway to long-term change, not as a temporary response to crises. We connect humanitarian action with future-building and place children at the heart of our programmes, because protecting children begins with safe education that preserves their dignity and gives them a genuine opportunity to choose their future with awareness and security.”