"Smile", an initiative of Bahrain's Future Society for Youth, which provides psycho-social support to children with cancer and their parents in the Kingdom of Bahrain, continued its in-kind support to sick children and their families who are affiliated with the initiative by distributing protective kits to fight the spread of coronavirus. The initiative concluded successfully in early April, the first campaign of distributing protective kits containing an integrated package of masks, gloves, and sterilizers for children and their families, and now the second campaign of distributing the kits has started after doubling its contents in an indication that the initiative is keen to achieve the most beneficial impact in protecting the children with cancer from COVID-19. Volunteers of the "Smile" initiative work to deliver this aid to the homes of sick children in different areas of Bahrain's cities, villages and regions, with an explanation of how to use it in the right way. The volunteers do their best to ensure the full implementation of the health and preventive measures for coronavirus. They gather in small teams that sterilize the kits during the packaging and distributing and advise the parents how to use these kits correctly. Chairman of Future Society for Youth, Sabah Abdul Rahman Al Zayani, said that the "Smile" initiative carries out this campaign in line of its participation in the national efforts of the Team Bahrain to tackle coronavirus by providing everything necessary not only in the field of health and treatment services, but also in terms of supporting the most vulnerable segments of society, such as children with cancer. "Providing this in-kind aid to the children with cancer comes within the framework of Smile's initiative to provide all possible support to sick children who suffer mainly from weak immunity system, and need special and permanent care, and extending a helping hand to their families and stand by them in these difficult circumstances." Al Zayani added. The "Smile" initiative has strengthened its measures to protect sick children who are affiliated with the initiative from the emerged coronavirus, and the initiative's volunteers are also campaigning to raise awareness among the families of these sick children about the need to follow the maximum possible protection for their children, and follow the related health directives, and not to tolerate the possibility of transmitting the virus to the sick child through any means. According to an emergency plan that was activated by the board of directors for the current stage, the initiative has suspended all group activities, fearing for the health of sick children, and its employees have moved to work from home with a hotline for parents to communicate with the initiative and obtain psychological and social support services. — SG
