When not-for-profit organisation Superhope asked children suffering from cancer to imagine themselves as superheroes and don a cape, they saw a spike in their strength to fight the disease.
The initiative which was launched at the Middle East Film and Comic Con last year by Dubai-based residents Tarik Batal and Basma Masri will be back this weekend to raise awareness about the power of positive mental attitude to battle life-threatening conditions.
Superhope works with hospitals to involve children with cancer in activities that make them imagine themselves as superheroes. They ask each child what superpower they’d want and take the support of local illustrators and designers to create a costume for them. They then hold a photo shoot with the children in their costumes.
The founders have fitted more than 16 children from the Tawam Hospital in Al Ain and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in California with their own costumes so far.
“When we walked into these hospitals, the children weren’t in the best mental state,” says Masri.
“We brought this out-of-this-world experience to them, engaging them in sketching, colouring and creating a costume that was born out of their imagination. That boosted their positivity.”
She says the energy survived, even after the project was over.
“These children are going through chemotherapy and these sort of gestures just takes their mind off the pain and makes them stronger,” she says.
“They got to keep the costumes and the photographs were a reminder for them, as well. We follow up with the families and they tell us that our efforts did help.”
At this year’s MEFCC, Superhope will have two children from Tawam in their costumes to interact with visitors and explain their initiative. They’ve organised activities and a photo booth, and will have Virgin Radio host Kris Fade and TV personality Raya Abi Rached at their kiosk, as well.
“Our aim is to continue to create more superheroes around the world.”
Superhope will be at MEFCC from today until Saturday. Find out more about their initiative on www.super-hope.org. Follow them on Twitter @superhopeorg.
aahmed@thenational.ae
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
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SPECS
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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