Twin Tunisian sisters win Arab Reading Challenge, pledge half their prize to Palestinians - Mashallah
Assalamu alaikum. Two 12-year-old twin sisters from Tunisia, Baisan and Baylsan Koka, were announced as joint winners of the Arab Reading Challenge in Dubai after each reading around 600 books over the past year. They were honoured at a ceremony and, Mashallah, have promised to donate half of their shared Dh500,000 prize to help the people of Palestine and to give the other half to their mother.
The sisters were celebrated among millions of students who took part in this year’s event that encourages a love of reading and learning. Baisan, who also plays the oud, dreams of becoming a doctor, while Baylsan, who plays the violin, hopes to be a software engineer. They said their family - especially their mother - and friends supported and inspired them throughout the competition.
They dedicated their achievement to the people of Tunisia and spoke about how reading hundreds of books opened up new worlds and ideas for them. “The benefit isn’t just the number of books, but that they took us to different universes of knowledge and joy,” Baylsan said. Baisan added that discussing books with her sister kept her motivated: “Reading is not my hobby but my identity.”
The competition, launched in 2015, aims to spread the culture of reading, strengthen Arabic language skills, and nurture young people’s knowledge and character. Organisers say it promotes understanding, tolerance, and equips students with skills to build a better future while supporting Arabic as a living language.
Other winners this year included students from Mauritania, Bahrain, Iraq and the diaspora, as well as schools and supervisors recognised for their efforts in encouraging reading. May Allah reward these young readers and those who support and teach them, and may their donation bring relief to those in need in Palestine.
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