Dubai: Dubai Municipality has announced that it will continue to implement the community initiative “Senior Citizen Gardens” by creating more home gardens in 15 homes for senior citizens during 2019.
The initiative which has so far had a positive impact on the health of senior citizens entails the establishment of agricultural gardens inside their homes, which motivates them to move and be productive.
After the gardens were set up, the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai monitored their health and psychological condition which showed a marked improvement in their mobility and mental state. The initiative also contributed to reducing the proportion of complaints of joint pain by 40 per cent.
The move is in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the vision of Dubai Municipality to build a happy and sustainable city and its strategy of community participation and effective interaction and the sustainability of city environment.
Dawoud Al Hajri, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said: “Based on the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on the care and attention towards senior citizens, Dubai Municipality, in cooperation with CDA, is committed to provide all kinds of support to their satisfaction and happiness by designing and implementing home gardens for senior citizens free of charge. We, at Dubai Municipality, will continue to provide support to this group and we will enhance community service to all other groups to achieve the Municipality’s vision of building a happy and sustainable city.”
Manal Bin Yaarouf Al Suwaidi, Director of Customer and Partners Relations Department at Dubai Municipality, said: “Through this initiative, we aim to help them to lead a decent life and to engage their free time with useful work, which will contribute to the promotion of the principle of happiness and satisfaction in their life. The initiative will also activate their role in the overall development process witnessed by the emirate,” she said.
“The initiative encourages senior citizens to move and produce through the practice of farming and harvesting, and help them to engage their leisure time by taking care of plants in their gardens throughout the year, including palm and flowering trees, and also motivates them to perform motor activities that improve their morale,” Al Suwaidi pointed out.
