Sharjah:Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah (SYL), a subsidiary of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation
for Creating Leaders and Innovators, concluded the 6th edition of Afaaq Leadership
Camp on Thursday, which was organised to empower young women with the 21st
Century skills of critical thinking and creativity, innovation and leadership skills, in
line with the goals of UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071 to prepare young
Emiratis for the future.

The leadership camp, designed for girls aged 15 – 17 years, was held from
December 14-19 under the theme ‘The 21st century skills’.

The closing ceremony, held at SYL headquarters in Sharjah, was attended by
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Sheikha Aisha Al Qasimi, Director of SYL, and the
participants’ parents.

For her part, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, said: "I am delighted to be amongst a
selection of our finest young leaders of tomorrow. I see in their eyes the
determination to succeed and excel, to become regional and global ambassadors of
our country”.

“Raising a generation capable of staying ahead of rapid socioeconomic changes is
not an easy feat. It requires collaborative, continuous and intensive efforts, which
was evident in SYL’s success in offering young women with relevant programmes,
activities and workshops to enhance their skills and capacities in order to become
future leaders and portray a bright image of our Emirati identity and Arab heritage to
the world,” she added.

She extended her gratitude to Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al
Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, for always stressing
the importance of investing in the future of young women and providing all that is
necessary to develop their talents to become successful in all their ventures,
regionally and internationally.

Sheikha Aisha Al Qasimi, said: “Today, we celebrate of a number of bright young
ladies in Sharjah who all have the spark needed to become ambitious and
accomplished Emirati women. Given their determination, perseverance and
capacities, the country will be proud to be represented by them in future”.

“Through the years, SYL has been steadily realising a clear vision to empower young
ladies across many fields. We work tirelessly to nurture them with knowledge and
experiences via programmes that meet their expectations,” added the Director.

Learnings at the sixth edition
Participants got off to a good start with unique ice-breaker activities aimed at
enhancing social and cultural skills.

At one of the sessions titled ‘Meeting with a leader’, aimed at delivering key insights
on self-development and real-life lessons on leadership through a face-to-face
meeting with an inspiring role model, participants heard from a HE Reem BinKaram,
Director of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment.

Younger participants engaged in a leadership and meditation workshop titled
‘Learning the skills of initiative, self-direction, critical thinking and problem solving’.

As the older participants took to kayaking to hone their skills in ‘Leadership,
responsibility, flexibility and adaptation’, the younger lot enjoyed exploring on-the-
spot challenges at the ‘Treasure hunt: The Heart of Sharjah’ workshop.

UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071 aims to have more Emirati youth in
leadership roles, and seeks to empower them with skills in building the future of the
UAE.

Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah (Sajaya) is dedicated to developing the talents of
young girls in the age group of 13-18 years in all creative spheres. It was established
in 2004 under the umbrella of Sharjah Children’s Centres before becoming an
independent entity in 2012 following an administrative decree from Her Highness
Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of
Sharjah and Chairperson of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation.