‘Order of the Smile’ award for Moza

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser drank a cup of bitter lemon juice, then smiled, as she was decorated yesterday in Warsaw in the presence of the First Lady of Poland, Anna Komorowska, at a ceremony to receive a special award given by children to adults in recognition of their services to children.The award, the Order of the Smile, originated in Poland but now has international status, and the drinking of the lemon juice is traditional for the recipient of the award, symbolising that the recipient will always smile, despite the bitterness of the juice.Her Highness was nominated for the award, making her a Dame of the Order of the Smile, by a young patient receiving treatment for cancer at the Mother and Child Centre in Warsaw who had come to hear of her work. Other Knights and Dames of the Order of the Smile include Mother Teresa, the 14th Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, JK Rowling and King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud.Following a musical recital by schoolchildren, Her Highness was introduced by Marek Michalak, Polish Ombudsman for Children and Director of the International Chapter of the Order of the Smile, who told the assembled audience about her work as a supporter of children everywhere, particularly in education.In her acceptance speech, HH Sheikha Moza spoke of her pleasure at receiving such an award decided by children themselves. She stressed the importance of education and her passion to help get the world’s out-of-school children back into school and in a message to all the children present, she asked for their support to make the world a better place in the future.

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser waiting as Polish schoolchildren squeeze the juice of lemons for her to drink as part of the traditional ceremony of acceptance of the Order of the Smile, an award decided by children to honour adults to recognise their services to children. PICTURE: Aisha Al Musallam/HHOPL

Her Highness finished by saying, “I believe in you, the children. I believe in the power of your smiles”.Before the awarding of the Order, HH Sheikha Moza and the audience had been treated to a musical performance by children from the school of the Order of the Smile who had travelled from their school in Widnica to Warsaw especially for the ceremony.Earlier, HH Sheikha Moza met with Komorowska at the Presidential Palace. During the meeting, they discussed a range of issues of common interest with an emphasis on children healthcare-related issues.