It is a different kind of generation. Today’s youth will spend hours typing on phones instead of talking to you in person. But they’ll also spend hours doing work many just speak of doing.
While many sit back and pontificate on issues like climate change and world hunger, these youngsters roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty.
Gulf News spoke to some of its younger readers who actively interact with the newspaper through community reports highlighting their social and environmental activities.
Kehkashan Basu, a 15-year-old student in Dubai, has been raising awareness about the environment since she was nine. She volunteers with the World Youth Foundation, an international non-governmental organisation that focuses on youth programmes and is the global coordinator for children and youth with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
She told Gulf News: “Children are amongst the largest stakeholders of civil society but continue to be the least represented. We are often taken for granted. We are aghast at the prospect of inheriting a barren planet. We should not remain mute observers.”
She is passionate enough to fly across the world to attend the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which discusses sustainable development. The icing on the cake is that her birthday falls on June 5, World Environment Day.
Firdous Mohammad Farooq, a 13-year-old student in Abu Dhabi, consciously tries to make a difference.
She said: “We weren’t created to just care about our own needs. Since childhood, I used to feel strange when I saw someone living in poverty or children being forced into child labour.”
Her latest efforts included using all her savings — Dh1,300 — to buy essential items and donating them to the Nepal embassy in Abu Dhabi to help families displaced by the recent earthquake. She is also an advocate of recycling and creates gifts using recycled paper, plastic and cardboard.
She said: “My generation is not involved enough when it comes to the betterment of the planet. They may feel like they don’t have time, but they need to plan their day.”
Neola Castelino, a 10-year-old pupil in Sharjah, goes out of her way to ensure that people around her are aware of the issue of littering.
She said: “I am constantly focused on recycling. Through my actions, I feel like I am returning a little of what Nature gives us. I have seen people my age littering. They are aware of the effects of their actions, but tend to turn a blind eye.”
Venkatesan Sundar, a 10-year-old in Sharjah, volunteers for various causes around the UAE.
He recycles everything he can, collects items for donation drives and volunteers at charity iftars and fairs. He is the brand ambassador for ‘Protect your Mom’, a campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer, and the president of charity and humanitarian work of a Facebook-based youth group, Students for the Earth.
“I believe in the One World One Family concept and enjoy doing my bit. The joy that I experience from participating in these projects motivates me to continue,” he said.
Arushi Madan is a 16-year-old environment and social activist.
“I truly believe in the saying, ‘There are two kinds of people in this world, givers and takers. Those who take eat better, but those who give sleep better.’ I try to help the unfortunate to the best of my abilities.
“I feel our generation cannot be generalised. I have seen so many youngsters who are kindhearted and want to work to improve the lives of others,” she said.
Fifteen-year-old Rohan Kapur began an initiative called ‘Serve the heroes’ with a simple mission — help those toiling in the sun cool off. Over three years, he has managed to build a team of 50 volunteers from various age groups and served 6,000 workers with packages containing refreshments and anything else that might help the workers beat the heat. This is just one of the many projects Kapur is involved in.
“As long as we have student organisations and initiatives, I am sure there is hope for our future,” he said.
— Huda Tabrez is a trainee with the Readers Desk at Gulf News
