Volunteers step in to make Kuwait green again – Sheikha Amthal leads mission
KUWAIT CITY, June 13 : After Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad recounted the “thirst of the trees in Kuwait whose leaves and branches are parched” and sought help from “the secret of life”, the Volunteer Work Center, in collaboration with Kuwait Municipality and the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR), organized a volunteer campaign to bring life back into the trees that are withering in all regions of Kuwait as the workers of the concerned authorities were not able to work due to the lockdown, reports Al-Seyassah daily.
Sheikha Amthal said she feels sad about the dry land scene along the Arabian Gulf Street, stressing that, “If your workers are isolated, why don’t you contact the youth of Kuwait? Our youth are ready for carrying out irrigation and all such activities. Any agency that requires volunteers must communicate with the Volunteer Work Center, which was established by an Amiri decree and has more than 1,000 volunteers ready to work in any field. In fact, at the time of invasion, we did not have any workers and we did all the work ourselves.”
She went on to say, “We organized the campaign after we were contacted by people residing in the Shaab seaside area who expressed the need to work on saving the plants on Gulf Street. The center contacted the PAAAFR and Kuwait Municipality in this regard and informed that volunteers have offered to help in the absence of workers. The volunteers were trained on how to work on the machines and equipment on their own for watering trees in the various areas.”
Sheikha Amthal indicated that the center’s volunteers work in more than one place to serve on the front-lines, and there are many who are ready to do any volunteer work to serve Kuwait in various fields. She added, “The campaign will continue in various regions in Kuwait according to the security measures followed in this phase during the curfew period, as this requires the commitment of volunteers. They will start with the Arabian Gulf Street and then move on to other places determined by PAAAFR”.
Meanwhile, Director General of PAAAFR Sheikh Muhammad Al-Youssef appreciated the efforts exerted by the volunteering agencies especially the Volunteer Work Center.
He declared, “This is the true nature of Kuwaitis that you find at the time of need. These volunteers are a pride for all. Kuwait today is going through a crisis and everyone must work together to serve it”.
Sheikh Muhammad praised the speedy performance of work, processing of tankers, and the presence of volunteers and their enthusiasm to perform this work in light of the current conditions in the country, adding that the campaign came as a result of concerted efforts and coordination among the Volunteer Work Center, Kuwait Municipality and PAAAFR.