Angelica Klien and Doris Leung are on a mission to change the world – the urban world at the very least. They are members of the Hong Kong-based Rooftop Republic, a social enterprise that creates farming space for vegetables, herbs and fruit on roof terraces around the city.

Klein and Leung are armed with seeds (gerger), soil and stacks of plastic containers to demonstrate how visitors at Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival can grow their own food at home or school. They first teach them about the different seasons, the seasonality of fruits and vegetables and how to grow organic food.

“Our vision is to revolutionise the food system and transform the relationship people have with their food,” says Klein. “We are hopeful about the potential for urban farming to transform both urban spaces and mindsets in cities and to contribute to making cities more sustainable and liveable.”

“Urban farming is trending globally, and it could be one of the top jobs in the next 10 years,” says Leung. “Through urban farming, not only do you get to acquire skills and knowledge in biology, horticulture and agriculture, you also get to play a part in greening your city, connecting your city dwellers with their food sources, and bringing communities together through growing your own food.”

Visitors to SCRF 2019, which runs until April 27 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Discover Knowledge’, can gain knowledge on varied subjects at such workshops that are held daily for the duration of the festival.

SCRF is one of the most important cultural events dedicated to children in the UAE and greater Arab region. It has gone beyond being a book exhibition and developed into an integrated event that contributes to enriching the knowledge of visitors with science and literature.