Sharjah Girl Guides Continues to Nurture ‘Future Pioneers’

Sharjah Girls Guides (SGG), a non-profit volunteer driven organisation, is considered one of the pioneering guiding organisations in the emirate of Sharjah and the United Arab Emirates. It was established in 1973, when a group of ambitious women held the first camp seeking to empower women and girls in the emirate, while challenging the typical view of women’s capabilities in society. Guiding has since spread to across the emirates when the UAE Guiding Association was established in 1979.

With the support and guidance of the Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Patron of SGG and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), SGG has been steadily realising Sharjah’s vision to inspire and develop younger generations in an environment that nurtures their mental and physical development, supporting their personal growth, seeking to reach the full potential of girls and women by empowering them to become effective members of society.

Since its establishment 43 years ago, SGG has seen significant changes and developments over the years, ending up with the launch of its new identity and expanded mandate in 2013. Today, it is regarded as one of the leading organisations dedicated to building girls’ capacity and honing their talents, in all the guiding categories for Brownies and Guides. SGG has graduated almost 900 girls since its inception, who were able to reach their potential on personal as well as professional fronts. With each passing year, the guiding movement continues to strengthen its plans and training programmes for the new associate members. Recently, in November 2016, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi honoured 130 Guides and Brownies with badges in recognition of their successful participation in an array of workshops and training courses conducted throughout the year.

Every year, SGG sets a series of goals to train and equip new generations, and prepare them to lead the emirate’s future cultural project. To achieve these goals, SGG continues to design and introduce new programmes, plans and initiatives that are supervised by an elite group of instructors and mentors. An eventful year for SGG, 2016 saw many activities organised with the key goal of developing the abilities and skills of young girls.

Shaikha Al Shamsi, Assistant Manager at SGG, said: “Due to the support and guidance of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi and her vision to achieve social progress in Sharjah by further advancing the guiding movement in the country, we were successful in building new generations of capable girls and young women who will join the ranks in contributing to the UAE's accomplishments in various fields.”

She added: “From our ambitious plans emerged strong mentoring programmes, which resulted in shaping batches of graduates beaming with confidence and honed personal abilities, which the guides exhibited in leadership and teamwork skills.”

"Last year, SGG's efforts focused on enhancing the leadership skills of the girl guides, developing a sense of responsibility towards themselves, their society and their country. All activities and events were designed to support the capacity of Guides and Brownies, helping their personalities adapt to their social surroundings and become active agents capable of making positive change in their community," Shaikha Al Shamsi emphasised.

Al Shamsi praised Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher's call for garnering more support and attention for the guiding movement in the UAE, especially in the absence of relevant institutions in supporting and activating scouting and guiding movements. She reaffirmed SGG's commitment to continue to hold annual events and organise activities in order to create a promising generation of future leaders capable of furthering the UAE’s progress, which celebrated its 45th anniversary last month.

In 2016, SGG was seen organising around 36 events, which exhibited a mix of educational workshops, religious festivities, national events, as well as sports and entertainment activities. They all aimed to develop leadership skills and a sense of responsibility among the young participants, fostering communal spirit, national pride, promoting in them a culture of voluntary humanitarian work and love of giving. Other activities were aimed at raising awareness about the importance of preserving the environment and instilling positive behavioural attitudes and social qualities among the girls, thus contributing to developing their personalities and equipping them to better serve their community.

Other activities included winter camps which were organised in early 2016 with the aim of developing the girls' leadership and team building skills, and enhancing their inner strength through games and activities designed to foster a spirit of cooperation and moral values in an environment that combined education and entertainment.

Guide Noura Abdul Rahim Al Bastaki said: "The programmes organised under the Guiding World badge category were the most interesting activities that I took part in last year. I participated in the winter training camp and attended several workshops where I learned about the principles and skills of guiding. These events allowed me to interact with a whole new group of peers with qualities of perseverance, diligence and a spirit of competition. I was also able to act as a guide for my juniors – the Brownies."

To instill in girls the importance of preserving the natural environment, SGG participated in the nationwide celebrations of the 36th Afforestation Week, which was held in March under the title “Grow a Ghaf”, to help promote green practices, and contribute to improving the ecosystem and highlighting the aesthetic image of Sharjah and the UAE.

Brownie Al Damani Abdullah, who joined SGG in 2014, said: “We planted 160 Ghaf trees in Sharjah's desert during the event. We also exercised teamwork skills, and raised awareness about environmental conservation and the dangers of desertification. It was a great feeling when we put our names on the trees we planted, and also visited the place later to follow up on their growth.”

Giving special attention to the importance of developing the girls' personal skills, SGG organised a training programme titled ‘Your Future Starts Here’ in April. The five-day programme featured a number of workshops and training activities about team building, cooking, self-defense and recycling. It also included a visit to the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences, the Mleiha Archaeological and Ecotourism Destination and the Creek Park in Dubai.

Marking International Women's Day and Mother's Day, SGG hosted a group of mothers during a special event under the theme ‘A Day for My Mother’. It honoured mothers for their pivotal roles in family building, which is the very first step towards bringing up new generations that will serve society.

Two weeks prior to the holy month of Ramadan, SGG celebrated the occasion of Hag Al Laila, which falls on the 15th of Sha'aban (the eighth month in the Islamic Hijri calendar), to encourage girls to observe the Emirati tradition and prepare them for the month of fasting. During Ramadan, SGG organized the ‘Spread Happiness’ initiative, as part of SGG's efforts to promote a culture of volunteerism and giving in girl Guides and Brownies. The initiative saw girls' participation in distributing food packages to needy families, in cooperation with Human Appeal International.

Girl Guide Salam Nasser Yassin, said: “I participated in the Ramadan initiative where we collected basic consumable commodities such as rice, flour, sugar and oil in large boxes, and distributed them to needy families. It was a great opportunity to learn the value of giving and the importance of volunteering. The initiative reinforced the culture of helping others, and taught me how to instill love and solidarity among members of the community.”

In August 2016, SGG organised their summer camp titled, ‘Summer of Accomplishments’, which featured a series of art and training workshops specifically designed to keep the girls active during the summer holidays. The summer programme aimed to instill positivity within girls and develop their skills for on the personal and professional levels, where SGG conducted specialised workshops covering different career areas.

The 2016 calendar was also packed with innovative and engaging events consistent with international celebrations and local initiatives. SGG took part in the White Cane Tour, which was organised by the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired to mark the International White Cane Day celebrated in October each year.

All of SGG’s initiatives and participations came in conjunction with a number of educational and entertainment workshops that were held throughout the year under the various badge categories. They covered numerous topics, skills, and crafts, including entrepreneurship, time management, handicrafts, sculpture, painting, story writing, theater, and use of technology and electronics, among others.

Reflecting the vision of Sharjah and the UAE as a whole, SGG is focused on the development of the younger generations, investing in their talents, shaping them into becoming effective global citizens capable of making valuable contributions to not only their own country but to the world at large.