Noor Kids Digital Ramadan Camp attracts 80,000 viewers
Islamic-themed programme features daily stories and guest speakers during Ramadan.
US-based Noor Kids has run Ramadan camps for years to ensure the holy month resonates with children with founder and master storyteller Amin Aaser previously traversing the country from one Muslim community to another to relay the stories of Islam.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic the in-person camp contact transformed into an online platform and featured a different 30-minute show every night. This year Noor Kids waived its $179 programme fee to provide universal access to its Digital Ramadan Camp.
“Alhumdullilah, we have been blown away. Close to 80,000 children were enrolled (with the camp) from across the world including the US, Canada, the UK, South Africa and Pakistan, but also Rwanda, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka. It is truly a global experience,” said Aaser, the executive director of Noor Kids.
Over the past decade, Noor Kids has produced 140 stories for children. During Ramadan, Aaser tells a story every evening or invites a guest speaker, such as Zain Bhikah, a South African singer-songwriter who performs Islamic nasheed, National Basketball Association (NBA) US player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim congressman in the US, and the Yaqeen Institute's Sheikh Omar Suleiman.
“Ramadan is the most important month in the Islamic calendar and parents want to ensure their children grow up with a love for this month,” said Aaser to Salaam Gateway. “At the same time there are big challenges. Number one, parents are fasting, which makes it difficult, and secondly, life has never been as busy as it is today. Parents are busy, so we thought how we might support parents? We conjured up this idea to have a digital Ramadan camp … to bring the holy month into hearts and homes.”
Aaser said a goal is to be a kind of “Mister Rogers for Muslims”. Fred Rogers was an American television host and Presbyterian minister who created the pre-school series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that ran from 1968 to 2001.
“Mister Rogers provided simple and deep messages to help children navigate the complexities of their life. He did it from his living room, so kids could feel like they were connected to something real. We saw an inspiration for this, as each of our programmes is shot from my living room, so they feel part of a global Muslim family,” said Aaser.
In addition to stories and guest speakers, Noor Kids organises a weekly challenge such as constructing a cardboard masjid.
“Kids take boxes and tape it up to make the masjid. Others activities are to draw say the Masjid al-Aqsa or a water colour of a starry night painting. In doing so, we create activities for kids and a community,” he said.
Each website submission is ranked by who receives the most hearts. Aaser said while the storytelling will stop come Eid Al Fitr, Noor Kids will have a pre-Eid celebration.
“It will be a Muslim Dad joke tournament, featuring scholars and artists, to raise funds to support orphans,” said Aaser.
Post-Ramadan, Noor Kids will seek benefactors and investors.
“We are specifically looking for impact investors to grow the work we are doing. We are hoping over the next few months to secure funding to build on our success.”
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