Around the world in a day

When Work Readiness Programme (WRP) students at Al Ain Women's College (AAWC) took on a project to host an International Village on campus, it proved to be a fun experience as well as an opportunity to put into practice the skills they had learned over the months.

Multinational event

More than 200 students participated in the event, which showcased the following countries: Canada, the USA, Australia, China, the UAE, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Oman, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Ethiopia, India, Algeria, Morocco, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, France, Greece, UK, Mexico and Korea.

Students started working on the project in October. They researched the country they had chosen, contacted its citizens living in the UAE and collected traditional items to display. They also visited the Global Village in Dubai to familiarise themselves with the cultures and traditions of these countries.

"This day, hosted by students at Al Ain Women's College, is a celebration of the multicultural community we live in," said Lana Al Bardawil, student work skills teacher and organiser of the event.

Al Bardawil said the event included art and cultural displays that reflected the history and traditions of the countries. "Each exhibit focused on the folklore of each country as well as traditional dress, food, music, legends and holidays."

Women's skills development

Al Bardawil explained that the International Village was more than just an extracurricular event for WRP students.

"In our programme students are learning lots of different skills such as teamwork, time management, organisational skills and conflict resolution. With this project they are able to apply the theory they have learned to a real-life situation."

Al Bardawil explained that many of her students were forced to leave high school at an early age and are now educating themselves to find employment.

"Our year-and-a-half programme does not have majors. It is for adult students who want to get a job and [they] therefore acquire different skills to help them achieve this, such as Arabic, computer skills, basic maths and work skills."

Al Bardawil said her students have found work in a number of fields. They find jobs as secretaries, in banking, hospitals, factories and schools. "It's a door opener to go into any field they like."

She added that the students ranged between the ages of 18 and 35 and although many of them were forced to leave high school because of marriage or health reasons, they are now extremely motivated to further their education.

Motivated to succeed

Jameela Saleh Al Shaibah is a mother of 10 who works as an administrative officer at UAE University. She joined the WRP programme to acquire more skills.

Jameela's group chose to represent Australia and researched extensively to give visitors a good idea of what the country had to offer.

"We learned about the many sports the country has, the kinds of foods they eat, agriculture, the population; and looked at maps of the country. It's amazing how large Australia is and the amount of agricultural land, forests and animals they have," Jameela said.

She said she learned to communicate better with her peers while preparing for the event. She also learned patience and how to present her ideas even while accepting those of the others in the eight-member group.

Noora Suhail Al Ameri is an unemployed mother of three who was unable to finish high school. She joined the WRP programme because she had difficulty finding a job.

With the skills she has been learning in recent months she is confident about finding employment in the future.

Noora's group represented Palestine. Their stand displayed traditional items and clothing from the country and also provided information on its history, population and the wars that ravaged it.

"The most important skill we learnt was cooperation. It was also fun learning about Palestine and about different cultures," Noora said.

Meera Hassan Al Beloushi's group represented Italy and enjoyed the teamwork involved. They included artwork such as the Mona Lisa and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Meera is unmarried and is in her last year at high school; in addition she is doing the WRP programme. She wants to pursue a bachelor of arts degree. "Unfortunately there are not many options for women but I would like to study business."





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