11 July 2019
Sharifa Alawadhi Children & Youth Club
The University of Bahrain’s first initiative “Water and Our Youth” marked the inauguration of the “A YEAR OF WATER” Program, an initiative developed to compliment the scope of the FEMRC-UoB scientific Conference “Water in the MENA Region: Preparing for a Changing World”.
This event was held under the patronage of H.E. Jameel Bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labor & Social Development and H.E. Prof. Riyad Yousif Hamzah, President of the University of Bahrain. It took place on the 11th of July at the Sharifa Alawadhi Youth and Children Club and was organized to involve and engage the younger citizens of Bahrain around the topic of water.
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The objective of “Water & Our Youth” was to create a participatory art event in which the younger generations of Bahrain could think about the subject of water. Their task was to create original artwork around 3 proposed topics which will also be addressed in the conference: Water and the Home; Water and the Environment; and Sharing Water.
WATCH VIDEO: “A Year of Water” Program launches at the Sharifa Alawadhi Children and Youth Club
Over 80 children and youth of the Sharifa Alawadhi Club, ranging between the ages of 7 and 15, participated in the launching of the water year, an activity which contributed to the club’s goals to include and promote children’s involvement in scientific and in national events.
Present at this afternoon of art and water was H.E. Prof. Riyad Yousif Hamzah, President of the University of Bahrain, Assistant Undersecretary for Community Development at the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, Mr. Khalid Ishaq Al-Kooheji, and members of the Steering Committee of the FEMRC-UoB Water Conference: Dr. Mohammad El-Hilo (Dean of the College of Science); Dr. Hanan Albuflasa (Professor of Renewable Energy); Ms. Melina Nicolaides (Director of ACTIVATE). Guiding the event and activities at the Club was head of incubators and child development at the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, Dr. Amal Mubarak AlBuflasa.
President Riyad Hamzah and Mr. Khalid Ishaq Al-Kooheji interact and participate in the art-making of these young members of the Children’s Club
As a continuation of the YOW Program, the plan is that at a date close to the University of Bahrain-Future Earth Conference of February 2020, the artworks will be exhibited in a new location in Bahrain and additionally, will be incorporated into banners for public spaces as part of the conference’s Water Awareness campaign.
The Children and Youth’s artwork was inspired by 3 of the Water Conference topics: Water and the Home, Water and the Environment, and Sharing Water
On behalf of the Conference Steering Committee of the UoB, a great thanks to all the representatives of the Sharifa Alawadhi Children and Youth Club for all their time and effort to host this very special “A Year of Water” event; and to all of the children and their families who so willingly and enthusiastically took on the topic of water and created such beautiful and thoughtful artwork.
