Kudla origin Reanne Rodrigues finalist in a USA Creative Contest – In line with International Women’s Day, the Philadelphia Creativity for a Cause campaign which is a community engagement program invited ideas from women across the GCC countries to contribute to enriching their local communities. Reanne Rodrigues, a origin from Urwa-Mangaluru now in Dubai, has been shortlisted in the FINAL 8 of the Philadelphia Creativity for a Cause campaign and she needs you support through your votes- so please log on immediately and vote now on: http://www.phillyarabia.com/creativityf…/…/shortlisted-ideas VOTING ENDS-19 MAY 2016
Mangaluru: Reanne intends to create a “News for Schools” initiative for children in the UAE to take an active interest in local and current affairs. By creating online and weekly print child-friendly newspapers, kids will be inspired to use this platform to investigate issues affecting them, engage with the world around them; and reach out to their peers to participate in greater community involvement purposes.Your support will mean a lot to Reanne and the community, for she wants to create a ‘News for Schools’ initiative. In line with International Women’s Day, the seventh edition of the Philadelphia’s ‘Creativity for a Cause’ campaign has opened its doors to women in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council countries). The campaign invited women to pursue their ambition and be catalysts of progress by conceiving simple ideas that can have a strong impact on community progress. Submissions were examined by four inspiring women — Sarah Al Beloushi, Emirati photography enthusiast and travel and lifestyle blogger; Shahd Thani, an Emirati writer; Hadeel Al Hussain, Saudi entrepreneur, visual artist, and fashion designer; and Esra Al Hamal, Saudi interior designer and travel blogger.
This year the organizers collaborated with universities to integrate the cause within university programmes, since they wanted to reach out to young women who have plenty of creative ideas but no platform to develop them. Since there are no limits to what a woman can imagine and achieve. The campaign was great platform for women in the region to embark on their much-awaited journeys. The campaign had received more than 610 submissions last year, and managed to reach out to over a million women in the region and beyond, by encouraging creativity and change.The partner university winner will receive a Dh 50,000 prize for their idea. The contestant with the most creative idea will receive Dh100,000 as prize money. So among the hundreds of submissions received for this year’s campaign, Reanne Rodrigues was selected one of the eight finalists. Congratulations to Reanne from Team Mangalorean.
From left: Sara Al Beloushi, Hadeel Al Hussain, Shahd Thani and Esra Alhamal at the opening of the ‘Philadelphia Creativity for a Cause’ campaign in Dubai.
Speaking to Mangalorean. Com over the phone from Dubai, Reanne Rodrigues who wants to create a “News for Schools” initiative said, “My community is 62 Sheikh Rashid Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Hot on the heels of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s campaign declaring 2016 as the year of reading in the UAE, I would like to create a “News for Schools” (NFS) initiative to encourage pupils between the ages of 7 and 14 to take an active interest in the world and its current affairs. By creating an online or weekly-print newspaper, “NFS” will feature local and international news stories – presenting them in an engaging and child-appropriate way”
“NFS” will talk to kids about real issues, not just the fluff that marketers constantly push at them, or the news that grown-ups ‘think’ kids want. Children are absolutely fascinated by the world around them and want to be involved. However, daily newspapers are either too hard for them to relate to, grammatically inaccessible or have gruesome stories which parents and teachers want to protect children against. I believe the best way to create change is to promote honest and child friendly education so that kids can make informed, and non-conflict arousing decisions in the world they grow up and live in “.
She further said, “NFS will not only teach kids the news, but also have them understand it, think critically about the story and the way it is written, and then apply their knowledge to the real world. Through this platform kids could be inspired to reach out to their peers to participate in greater community involvement purposes , whether it is promoting a Teddy Bear Drive for sick children, rescuing animals, reading to the elderly, running a food bank, organizing a book club, or even donating clothes to poorer residents. The “News for Schools” campaign will :
– Carry articles, opinion pieces and reviews written by a small but incredibly dedicated group of professional writers, photographers, middle-school students and perhaps university-level journalism students who are willing to volunteer their time.
– Feature topics about animals, fashion, cartooning, entertainment, school, science, math, technology and national and world news written mainly ‘by children for children’
– Have monthly volunteers visit schools and talk to children about what’s going on in the news… and not just light-hearted information. Children should learn about the G20 summit, the US elections (and sometimes even tales of Justin Bieber and Disney movie reviews.)
– Offer a free online resource for primary and secondary schools to access a newspaper clippings library to read both national and top international newspapers around the world. Topical news coverage should also be integrated across school curriculum’s in order to engage with real-life issues both locally and on a wider global scale
– Gather funding by a combination of small subscription fees and carefully chosen sponsorships particularly around cultural events like exhibitions, plays and musicals. This well-rounded reading initiative will not only create a generation of young reading lovers with talent, determination, and a quest for self-expression, but will (at a macro level) secure and consolidate the UAE’s position as a global capital for culture and a vibrant knowledge-based economy in the future.
About Reanne Rodrigues :
Reanne Rodrigues is a multi-talented young woman of Mangalorean descent. After finishing her studies at the St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Dubai, Reanne moved on to the University of Toronto to complete her undergraduate major in Psychology. Thereafter, she completed her Masters Degree in Communications from the University of Birmingham, UK with a first class distinction.
Reanne is also a certified ballet instructor from the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Ambitious as she is, Reanne will be completing her Masters Degree in Education this year from the Royal Academy of Dance and University of Bath. In her earlier days, Reanne had won various beauty pageants in Dubai and Canada. She currently works as a ballet instructor in Dubai. The Philadelphia Creativity for a Cause campaign is a community engagement program that invites ideas from women across the GCC countries to contribute to enriching their local communities. This year, Reanne Rodrigues from Dubai, has been shortlisted in the FINAL 8 of the Philadelphia Creativity for a Cause campaign and she needs your vote.
Reanne intends to create a “News for Schools” initiative for children in the UAE to take an active interest in local and current affairs. By creating online and weekly print child-friendly newspapers, kids will be inspired to use this platform to investigate issues affecting them and engage with the world around them, and reach out to their peers to participate in greater community involvement purposes.
Reanne’s Family: L-R : In front row- Tervin Aranha (Husband) and Reanne Rodrigues. Back Row : Remy (Dad), Annabel (Mom) and Alrik (Brother)
Reanne is the daughter of Remy and Annabel Rodrigues of Urwa, Mangalore (now residing in Dubai) and is married to Tervin Aranha, General Manager of Globelink Westar Shipping, Dubai.
Reanne Rodrigues needs you support through your votes- so please log on immediately and vote now on: http://www.phillyarabia.com/creativityf…/…/shortlisted-ideas
VOTING ENDS-19 MAY 2016. Best of Luck, Reanne!