JEDDAH, 13 May 2007 — A massive volunteer and environment awareness program involving 500,000 students from schools across the region kicked off yesterday at the Corniche. The program — which has been organized jointly by the Jeddah Municipality, the Directorate of Education and Saudi Aramco — aims to spread awareness of volunteer work and the preservation of the environment.
Khalid Aqeel, deputy mayor for services, said that the program, entitled Sawa’id (Joint Arms), is being held to make the younger generation more responsible. The program includes many volunteer activities and contests to stimulate the enthusiasm of the young generation, said Aqeel.
Activities include beach cleaning, mosque maintenance, and the planting of trees in residential districts and public parks. Public awareness brochures about the importance of preserving the environment and encouraging community work are also being distributed, said Aqeel, adding that a series of contests — including a competition on sand sculpturing and the best participating school — and other activities will be held at various locations across the city. The municipality is considering making the event an annual one.
Hamid Al-Zahrani, a student at the Al-Thaghar High School, said it was a good experience to do something positive in society. “We love to help, but until now we haven’t had an organized body to unify us and give us the chance to help,” he said.
Saleh Baghdadi, a pupil at the Prince Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz School, said that after collecting garbage on the first day of the program he would think twice before throwing garbage in the street. “After feeling how hard it is to clean and how beautiful the beach became after cleaning, I understood the meaning of responsibility,” he added.
