The participants planted different kinds of saplings within the SGG premises.

In a bid to promote green practices among the community members as part of UAE’s Planting Week, the Sharjah Girl Guides (SGG) organised another edition of their ‘Pick & Grow’ initiative in collaboration with the Sharjah Municipality, at the SGG premises on Feb.12, 2020.

Thirty SGG brownies (7 – 11 years) and guides (12 – 15 years), and 97 students from three schools participated in the event which was aimed at creating awareness about protecting the environment through planting trees and recycling.

The participants planted different kinds of saplings within the SGG premises, among trees that had been planted during earlier planting exercises conducted as part of their ‘Pick & Grow’ initiative. For school students, SGG designated a special ‘Pick & Grow’ area at their premises for the entirety of the Planting Week, to enable them to pass by in their free time and plant a variety of saplings.

Participants planted 100 saplings of local varieties including frankincense, sidr, ghaf and samar, in addition to 100 Palm trees that were planted beside the SGG greenhouse. 

Additionally, two workshops were conducted for participants to learn how to design their own eco-friendly shopping bag to replace non-biodegradable plastic bags that harm the environment. A presentation on the negative impact of plastic bags on the environment preceded the workshop. After designing the bags, the girls painted them to their liking.

Sheikha Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Director of SGG, said, “Planting a tree is one of the easiest and most powerful things you can do to have a positive impact on the environment. When we plant one, we are giving a gift to ourselves, our children, grandchildren and their successors. For young people in particular, planting is a symbolic exercise that conveys our love, respect and responsibility towards our environment, and helps them develop humane and constructive personalities.”

She added: “This event ties in with the Planting Week being observed in the UAE and was aimed at encouraging its young participants to become active shapers of a healthier and sustainable environment. Through the workshop that was organised as part of the event, they learnt how to make their own eco-friendly shopping bags that will go a long way in reducing plastic bag use and help our environment by reducing pollution. They also picked up various other practices which can be used as part of their daily routines for a fuller, more sustainable life.”

Established in Sharjah in 1973, the guiding movement subsequently spread to all seven emirates, giving rise to the Girl Guides Association of the UAE in 1979. Operating under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), SGG aims to inspire and nurture future generations to become progressive global citizens by providing them a platform to develop to their fullest potential.