Students sow seeds of charity to celebrate Union
dubai — To mark the 47th National Day, a Dubai school inaugurated a purposeful in-house vegetable garden with 47 members. The yield of the 2200 sq.ft. organic vegetable garden at the Our Own High School, Al Warqa’a (OOW) boys branch will be donated to the Emirates Red Crescent, which will then be supplied to labourers.
The school implemented the initiative as a joint venture with the voluntary organisation Unique Friends of Kerala (UFK) to inculcate values of charity and teamwork in students and also to get them to hone their gardening skills by being close to nature.
The UFK are known for being part of different charity events like blood donation and involvement in collecting and donating aid during the Kerala floods. They work closer to the Emirates Red Crescent and are one of the major helping hands in charity initiatives.
On December 2, with the backdrop of the UAE National Anthem, 20 UFK members, 20 students and seven teaching and non-teaching staff — adding up to a total of 47 members — inaugurated the garden.
Akhyar Ahmed, head of Middle School at OOW, along with students and UFK members planted vegetable saplings. Ahmed said: “The very idea to give the yield to the unfortunate makes this initiative different and we are happy to involve the UFK in guiding our students to harness the gardening skills.”
OOW principal Sanjeev Jolly added: “We are blessed to be led in this country by visionaries and statesmen. Their ambition to make this world a better place and sustain it is what we are following. By this initiative, we will teach our children the way to grow new things and these skills to imbibe in their life. Learn and grow together, for the greater good of this world, is our message.”
Students and teachers of the environmental club of the school will take care of the garden on a daily basis and members of the UFK will join the boys over the weekend.
Darshan Murali, a student of Grade 9, said: “I feel fortunate to be actively involved in this event. Preparations started nearly a month back and we would spend some part of the day on a daily basis in soil preparation and nurturing the plants under the guidance of our environmental team of teachers. Members of the UFK would come to school every Friday and guide us on how to move ahead with planting the seeds and growing them.”
Antonnio Bayne Clapp of Grade 11 said: “We do this happily and the very thought of donating the yield to the Emirates Red Crescent creates a positive drive in us. We as members of the environmental club also take it as our social responsibility to involve our friends from lower classes during the process. I can see how happy and excited they are as they see the seeds grow day by day. I am sure that we would be happier as we reap and donate the fruits of our hard work.”
Shameera, a member of the UFK,
said: “We have chosen to grow vegetables like tomato, brinjal, spinach, chillies, potatoes and beans. These can make the best out of the prevailing climate in the UAE in the next three months and we are expecting to start harvesting by the end of the third month. These vegetables are easily grown, commonly used and could be the best for donating as well. I turned speechless seeing the innocent smiles and enthusiasm among the students. It gives us hope for a better tomorrow.”
The school officials said that the vegetable garden at OOW aims to involve maximum students in organic farming as they should be aware of how these crops are planted and grown in real.