Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah (SYL), a subsidiary of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, concluded the 6th edition of Afaaq Leadership Camp on Thursday, which was organised to empower young women with the 21st Century skills of critical thinking and creativity, innovation and leadership skills, in line with the goals of UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071 to prepare young Emiratis for the future.

The leadership camp, designed for girls aged 15 – 17 years, was held from December 14-19 under the theme ‘The 21st century skills’.

The closing ceremony, held at SYL headquarters in Sharjah, was attended by Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Sheikha Aisha Al Qasimi, Director of SYL, and the participants’ parents.

For her part, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, said: “I am delighted to be amongst a selection of our finest young leaders of tomorrow. I see in their eyes the determination to succeed and excel, to become regional and global ambassadors of our country”.

“Raising a generation capable of staying ahead of rapid socioeconomic changes is not an easy feat. It requires collaborative, continuous and intensive efforts, which was evident in SYL’s success in offering young women with relevant programmes, activities and workshops to enhance their skills and capacities in order to become future leaders and portray a bright image of our Emirati identity and Arab heritage to the world,” she added.

She extended her gratitude to Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, for always stressing the importance of investing in the future of young women and providing all that is necessary to develop their talents to become successful in all their ventures, regionally and internationally.

Sheikha Aisha Al Qasimi, said: “Today, we celebrate of a number of bright young ladies in Sharjah who all have the spark needed to become ambitious and accomplished Emirati women. Given their determination, perseverance and capacities, the country will be proud to be represented by them in future”.

“Through the years, SYL has been steadily realising a clear vision to empower young ladies across many fields. We work tirelessly to nurture them with knowledge and experiences via programmes that meet their expectations,” added the Director.

Learnings at the sixth edition

Participants got off to a good start with unique ice-breaker activities aimed at enhancing social and cultural skills.

At one of the sessions titled ‘Meeting with a leader’, aimed at delivering key insights on self-development and real-life lessons on leadership through a face-to-face meeting with an inspiring role model, participants heard from a HE Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment.

Younger participants engaged in a leadership and meditation workshop titled ‘Learning the skills of initiative, self-direction, critical thinking and problem solving’. As the older participants took to kayaking to hone their skills in ‘Leadership, responsibility, flexibility and adaptation’, the younger lot enjoyed exploring on-the-spot challenges at the ‘Treasure hunt: The Heart of Sharjah’ workshop.

UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071 aims to have more Emirati youth in leadership roles, and seeks to empower them with skills in building the future of the UAE.

Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah (Sajaya) is dedicated to developing the talents of young girls in the age group of 13-18 years in all creative spheres. It was established in 2004 under the umbrella of Sharjah Children’s Centres before becoming an independent entity in 2012 following an administrative decree from Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation.