As part of its noble mission to provide comprehensive support to those affected by hereditary blood disorders and their families, the Omani Society for Hereditary Blood Disorders announced its collaboration with Studio Bahja to produce two educational stories for children with hereditary blood disorders, addressing the challenges of sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. This collaboration aims to enhance community awareness and education about these diseases through inspiring stories that instill hope and strength in affected children.
Commenting on this collaboration, Kawthar bint Zahir Al Kalbani, Executive Director of the Society, said:
“At the Society, we believe in the importance of providing integrated support that goes beyond the health aspect to reach the psychological and social aspects of affected children. Our collaboration with Studio Bahja reflects this commitment, as we hope these stories will provide a new window that expresses children’s feelings and instills in them a spirit of challenge and hope.”
For her part, Nawar Al Abri, Executive Director of Studio Bahja, commented:
“This project represents an opportunity for us at Studio Bahja to produce content that enriches children’s hearts and expresses their reality in an inspiring way. Through collaboration with the Omani Society for Hereditary Blood Disorders, we seek to present educational stories that carry positive and supportive messages that contribute to changing society’s view towards children with hereditary blood disorders, and enhance their self-confidence and vision for their future.”
The first knowledge workshop, which focused on sickle cell anemia, was launched with the presence of a group of hematology specialists, parents, and children affected by the disease. The daily challenges faced by children with sickle cell anemia were reviewed, and stories of success and challenge they live were discussed. Participants expressed their personal experiences and how to promote optimism and hope among children.
Commenting on this workshop, Al Ghalia Al Saqri, a children’s story writer at Studio Bahja, said:
“At Studio Bahja, we learn from children with sickle cell anemia how we can portray their stories in a way that touches everyone’s hearts. We aim to show their courage and ability to face challenges with hearts full of hope, positivity, satisfaction, and acceptance.”
This was followed by the second workshop that focused on thalassemia, where specialists and families participated in providing comprehensive insights about this disease. The team listened to the experiences of affected children and their families, and shared their inspiring stories of hope and strength that characterize their journey in facing this disease. This workshop was an opportunity for Studio Bahja to understand the psychological and social challenges that children go through and how to present them in a simple and attractive style in the stories.
This collaboration between the Omani Society for Hereditary Blood Disorders and Studio Bahja represents an important step towards producing quality content aimed at supporting affected children, and conveying messages of hope and optimism to them and their families, which contributes to improving society’s view towards them.
