co-founded with
Youmna Nahas
DardaCats is an engaging, fun & safe tool for children to express themselves freely & develop empathy.
How it started:
DardaCats was founded by Youmna Nahas & myself in reaction to the explosion of August 4. We were both in Beirut when it happened, and wanted to provide a source of comfort and support to children in those times.
We collaborated with psychologists, and created DardaCats to invite conversations and engagement in families. (hence the name DardaCats = Dardacha “conversation” + Cats).
Youmna and I didn’t know each other before DardaCats, we were put in contact by common friends because of our shared passion for play and its role in early child development.
DardaCats went from idea to launch in less than three months thanks to the collaboration of a local community of craftsmen, artists, psychologists, child activists, and small businesses.
www.dardacats.com
where is it going
Why social & emotional learning:
The current pandemic and socio-economic-political turmoil have put families under a lot of stress.
Social and emotional learning is crucial in early development as it helps children become more resilient and less fearful especially when dealing with conflict.
Our social mission:
From day one, DardaCats aims to make social and emotional learning less abstract and more accessible, especially for children who need it most. That is why, we partnered up with himaya.
With every DardaCat bought, one is donated to a child in Lebanon through himaya.
We are currently working on building a play platform that fosters social and emotional development by encouraging co-playing in the family’s daily routine.
