Watani programme helps UAE youngsters

Abu Dhabi: He never wore the kandura, his traditional dress, when he studied in the US in 1999, but thanks to the Watani programme he has realised how valuable his national identity is.

Ebrahim Al Hamadi has since become a volunteer for the programme.

"During my stay at Indiana University in Bloomington, I wore my kandura only once. It was for a get-together of UAE nationals in the US," said Al Hamadi, a civil engineering student at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) Abu Dhabi.

"But two years ago, when I participated in an international youth programme with students from 20 countries, I wore the kandura all the time.

"I now realise how precious my national identity is," said Al Hamadi, who has been a volunteer with the Watani programme since its inception in 2005.

He said he explained UAE heritage to international students who were with him on the "Ship of the World Youth", which was sponsored by the UN and the Japanese government.

"When they saw my national dress, everyone asked me me about our culture and heritage," he said.

Al Hamadi is also president of the students' council at the HCT Abu Dhabi.

Al Hamadi spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of a "National Treasures Campaign" on the HCT campus in Abu Dhabi to make students familiar with the watani.tv portal, and encourage them to take part in documenting the heritage of the UAE. The aim of the campaign is to create a database of UAE culture and traditions online. The campaign has become especially active since this year has been declared National Identity Year.

Al Hamadi said wearing the kandura is also "a way of remembering good, old values like respecting others, especially women."

He said he has seen many young Emiratis who do not know how to speak Arabic because of studying at private schools. We try to get the message through to them that they do not need to destroy anything, like their language and culture, to build up something else, such as learning English. Both can go together."

Another student said the campaign reminded him of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan's famous quote: "People who have no past, will have no future". We have started to look towards a bright future through our rich traditions and heritage, said Ahmad Abbas, a chemical engineering student.

Hamdan Omar Al Hadrami said he had a misconception that the previous generation had to struggle with nature in the desert without any modern facilities. "I was surprised when a volunteer of the programme explained how they adjusted to the harsh weather thanks to traditional wisdom."

Abdullah Al Suwaidi, a business student who has been a volunteer of the programme since its inception, said many youngsters were similarly surprised.

"Our ancestors coped with the scorching sun in their homes made of palm wood and leaves. They had their own 'air-conditioners', the 'Bargeel', wind towers on top of the houses that provided them with cool air," said Al Suwaidi who is also president of the students' council of the HCT.

"Palm was a valuable resource, used for houses, boats and wooden floors of mosques and buildings, and the dates were used as food. Without refrigerators, they stored fish and meat for a long time by preserving it with salt and camel fat.

"Their resources were limited, mostly camels, palm and khaf trees, fish in the sea and falcon to hunt. But their wisdom transformed those resources for various uses and helped them to lead a happy life. "We are trying to ensure we are not losing that wisdom amid all our modern luxuries," said Al Suwaidi.