Girls’ organizations and centres’ managers and officials have announced the launch of virtual summer programs for girls of all ages to help them make good use of their leisure time during summer time. These programs will work on developing the girls’ skills and abilities during the summer vacation. The programs will be made available via various social media platforms as health conditions imposed by the Corona Covid-19 pandemic force everyone to stay at home.
In special statements to al-Raya newspaper, they stressed that the summer program includes more than 19 activities and a variety of workshops. These aim at enabling girls to identify their innate selves, explore their own points of weakness and strength, promoting respect and ways to win over other people. Furthermore, these programs explore new experiences in parenting relationship, in addition to introducing girls to some of the Prophet’s Sunna acts (customs and   practices of the Prophet Muhammed P.B.U.H) and how to apply them. Additionally, the programs target increasing girls’ awareness about home farming and food security. They will also help girls plan and set future goals. The programs will further make available audio and video activities via the WhatsApp application for mothers to make good use of their leisure time. The programs will also document stories and situations retold by mothers through audio dialogues as well as instil a spirit of positive competition among mothers and enhance self-confidence in addition to enabling them to do manual work.
Salma Al-Harami:
6 virtual programs conducted till end of July
“The centre has commenced the implementation of a summer programs plan.” said Salama Al-Harami, Director of the Programs and Activities Dept. at the Capacity Centre for Development in Al-Khor, “Weekly in-person meetings have been transformed into virtual meetings through modern training techniques. The summer activity will be carried out through two programs. The first is titled “I, a Leader” targeting 9-12-year-old girls.”
“These activities,” she further stated “will continue until the end of July and interactive workshops are to also be provided via the ZOOM application for the target group.”

“To assess the benefit gained,” she stressed “girls will be commissioned with tasks that they must deliver before a certain deadline.”
“We aim to attract girls,” she continued “and develop their skills during this period and to keep boredom and everydayness at bay while staying at home.”
“We decided,” she added “to organize activities titled «I, a Leader» that includes 6 programs. Of these, there is the “I am Creative” program which aims to identify personal points of weakness and strength and provide girls with training to strengthen such weaknesses and to develop such strengths in their personality. Girls are shown how to explore their personal characteristics and to strengthen their weaknesses. There is another program which is “I, an Icon of Beauty.” This program aims to guide girls to the method by which they are able to balance between beauty within and without. It also helps them to probe the meaning of beauty and its types and the identification of the pure pious heart. They are also guided as to how to compare physical beauty and that of their clothes with beauty of mind and behaviour, and explore the secrets of an attractive girl.”
“We also present the program “Staying on Top.”” She continued “It aims to promote respect, learning about the types of that behaviour, and the ways to win over others. Girls are also coached about how to achieve respect in her mutual relationships. Another program, “My Kingdom of Parenthood,” aims to identify the fruits of dutifulness to parents, and to demonstrate some forms of dutifulness and disobedience to parents. The program also explores new experiences in the parenting relationship to help girls improve such relationship.”
She pointed out that another program “My Sunna, My World” which is presented by Maryam Saif Al-Arabid aims to get girls introduced to the importance of Sunna of Prophet Mohammed  in our lives, and to learn about some of these acts of Sunna and how to apply them in reality. Girls also memorize some Ahadeeth (sayings) of Prophet Mohammed.
“The “Food Security” program” she added “is presented by Maryam Al-Dosari. This aims to introduce girls to Qatar’s vision as well as its four pillars and to clarify Qatar’s national food security program. Al-Dosari also focuses on the importance of food security, and participates in presenting ideas that contribute to food security. The program furthermore aims to increase girls’ awareness of home farming and the importance of food security.
Magda Al-Kuwari:
“Fil Doha” (At Forenoon) brings together older women virtually,
“We present the program “Fil Doha” (At Forenoon)” said Magda Al-Kuwari, Director of Al-Doha Seat at the Department of the Centre for Development, “over the internet. It is a one of the virtual programs that suit the elderly and will continue until the end of the month of August. The program targets older and retired women. It is based on providing audio and visual activities through the WhatsApp application to achieve a number of goals. These include how mothers can spend their leisure time during home quarantine, getting them to become used to saying their Adhkar (remembrance of Allah) as well as performing sports daily, and activating their memory through old recollections.”
“We aim,” She continued “to bring pleasure and joy to mothers, document their stories and situations through audio dialogue, continue communication with them during summer time and to instil a spirit of positive competition amongst them. We aim as well to enhance their self-confidence by encouraging their participation, and enabling them to do manual work.”
“Among the activities we offer to mothers,” She added “is that of “Folkloric Proverbs and riddles,” which is open to their participation, to answer and discuss. It includes religious and popular competitions, videos and pictures about stories with a moral, information about the Qatari environment whether trees, Qatar beaches and marine life. We also offer folkloric games as well as focus on healthy food, simple household agriculture and conduct workshops for sewing, embroidery, handicraft, recycling, etc.”
Maha Al-Hamidi:
Workshops for the arts of cooking and crochet
“Summer activities in the Forum continue throughout July.” said Maha Mohammed Al-Hamidi, in charge of activities offered by Al-Daayen Girls’ Forum, “Such activities range from workshops to various activities and competitions through social media platforms. They aim to keep the girls busy in their leisure time and to develop and enhance their electronic skills as well as their spirit of competition.

“In the month of July a variety of activities will be presented.” she continued, “This includes religious and social activities, cooking, sports competition and various workshops. These include art activity with kitchen ware, crochet workshop entitled “Wool and Hooks”. Additionally, there is a social activity entitled “Hayaallah Man Jana,” (Visitors, Welcome), a workshop on the basics of photography, and an activity titled “Your own touch to your room,” which aims to teach the girls how to rearrange their rooms in an aesthetic and  artistic
manner.”
“We also organize a weekly contest on Sunday via Instagram,” she added “entitled “Guess my Name.” We also organize “A Cool Summer” which is a video of how to make refreshing ice cream.  Another activity is titled “My grandmother’s tips” and there is also an embroidery course, and an activity about “ The Art of Pouring” which includes videos introducing the art of pouring acrylic colours.
She further added that there is an activity about World Population Day which is an awareness video on that subject. The Forum also presents an agricultural activity called “My Flower grown by My own Hands” which encourages home farming. Another activity is one about “My health is in My Meal” which raises awareness of the importance of healthy nutrition and how girls can prepare health food by themselves.
Moza Al-Muhannadi:
Promoting Social Intelligence and Life Engineering
“Despite the health conditions the country is going through, our summer activities offered to girls continue to enhance and enable them in all walks of life,” explained Moza Al-Muhannadi, Media Officer at the Kaaban Girls Forum. Al-Muhannadi further pointed out that the most significant summer workshops held by the Forum include one about relations intelligence. This aims to introduce to the girls the concept of social intelligence and life engineering to direct them to achieve personal excellence and develop social relations. The workshop is presented by coach Abdul-Aziz Dalloul and targets girls age 14 years and up via the live broadcast on Instagram.
“We also organize a personal planning workshop,” she continued “with the trainer Wadha Al-Athba. This workshop targets girls age 13 years and up. It helps them set goals and plan and form their view to the future. In addition, there is “The Distinct Media Worker” program which targets the age group from 9 to 15 years through the Zoom application. This program is realized through the workshop “Make Your Own Comic Book” with Ahmed Al-Maliki. Girls are coached through the workshop to make their video content. It teaches them to face the camera with confidence and speak assuredly and choose purposeful topics to speak about.
“We also organize a workshop about the art of social media.” Al-Muhannadi added “It is presented by Instructor Saida Al-Muhannadi. The workshop deals with communication skills, human communication and social media management in our daily lives via live Instagram and targets girls aged 14 years and up. Moreover, there are other programs such as a workshop about designing PR campaigns, one about herbs and another dealing with oil.
Reem Al-Khater:
Virtual entertaining Visits
“The summer vacation has begun,” said Reem Al-Khater, Director of Al-Wakra Girls’ Centre, “Much leisure time is at hand, especially in the light of this crisis which limits people to the practice of but a few activities. However, our members were not deprived of the usual offer of great benefit in the Centre. We have prepared a distinct variety that suits the changes being witnessed by the country and with current events. There are interactive activities with the outside public and also a number of different workshops in collaboration with female trainers who have a real positive imprint on the trained. These workshops will be presented via social media platforms.”
“Furthermore,” she continued, “the stunning ideas in the activities offered by the Centre such as virtual visits that aim at taking the public into fruitful educational journeys, such ideas enroot new values in the participants.”
“There must be motivative challenges,” she explained, “based on public and students’ participation through educational competitions that enriches the mind with information as well as pleases the winners with prizes.”
“Finally,” she concluded, “The summer schedule can never really be complete without the participation of the Centre’s members with their creative initiatives and their video clips to be presented to the public so as to benefit everyone.”
“We hope,” she prayed “that the situation will return to the way they were, and our doors are reopen to passionately welcome our students with creative energy.