by SHARLAINE BELLO
Dressed in t-shirts and caps from Emirates En- vironmental Group (EEG), Grade 10 to 12 students from Far Eastern Private School Al Shaba and Halwan participated in the Clean Up Drive at Maleha, Sharjah on De- cember 06, 2021.
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) welcomed the attendees with an informative speech that outlined the purpose of the drive. The initiative was conducted under the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. This event stressed how to reduce pollution by starting with a simple step such as proper waste disposal. Over 1,200 participants came and collected a total of 1,005 kg waste around the 5 km area. According from the Gulf News, EEG Team managed to seg- regate 150 kg of paper and 35 kg of plastic and sent them for recycling.
The drive started with a band wearing military uniforms, called Sharjah Police Band, performing the UAE National An- them, Ishy Bilady. Then, a small group of singers, who commu- nicated through sign language while singing an Arabic song, and a dance performance of seven young girls in UAE cos- tumes from Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services followed.
Several communities, schools, organizations, as well as civilians participated in the drive, which was sponsored by Oa- sis, McDonalds, and etc. Students were provided with their own biodegradable garbage bags and reusable cotton gloves to use in collecting waste they found on the desert. Following the drive, every participant received free bottled water, fresh juice, and bread.
The Vice-chair of EEG, Abdul Aziz Al Midfaa, said “This is only the first day of the campaign. We have six more emirates to cover, with more participants coming together across different emirates. This campaign is aimed at educating members of the UAE society about the dangers of discarding waste improperly.”
He further added “I am extremely delighted to see participation from entities representing academia, government, and private sector, who took time off on a working day to actively participate in the efforts of achieving environmental sustainability objectives of the country.”