Educational film on the danger of carrying weapons for children

This cartoon film teaches children about the dangers of weapons and fireworks.

Carrying arms in Yemen is a culture that is prevailing throughout the country as a part of cultural dress. In many parts of Yemen, children at young ages start carrying arms and are often encouraged by their parents. However, this culture has resulted in many tragedies through injuries and killing due to this irresponsible behavior.

According to the Ministry of Interior, most of these accidents and crimes are commited because of this habit whether intentionally or unintentionally and has led the ministry to ban carrying guns in the capitals of all governorates. 

The imposed ban on carrying firearms has worked, as the number of crimes have decreased in Yemen, according to a report conducted by the ministry. 

There are many other organizations that have taken a role on this issue in Yemen. Due to the number of injuries and death related to children, the Shawthab Foundation for Children recently made a short film about carrying firearms among children. Their aim was to educate people of its danger to their children, who are the most precious people in their lives. 

“We hear of accidents among children due to carrying weapons and how it effect on them. Carrying weapons is a tradition that found among Yemenis many years ago and still insisting on it,” says Marym Ibrahim, the General Secretary of Shawthab foundation. She says that the culture of weapons among children is largely due to their own fathers encouraging them to do so. 
“There are fathers how encourage their children to be educated and have the arm of education and knowledge in order to build their future by themselves. On contrary, there are fathers who encourage their children to carry firearms and walk in streets in order to show others that they are men, but they do not realize that they, their fathers, themselves hurt their own children,” says Ibrahim.  

Ibrahim says that this film aims at educating people by the danger of carrying children which cause them many problems. “This film comes with the national campaign against carrying weapons. But we do not only mean weapons in our film. We also include fireworks which moreover would hurt children in a way or another.”

This film, titled “Ahmed and death play,” last for 20 minutes and was produced in Egypt. According to Shawthab Foundation, the film will be shown by the end of May. 

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