100-year international guiding tradition continues to inspire community spirit

Sharjah, 25 February, 2017:  Sharjah Girl Guides (SGG) has successfully concluded its annual ‘Cookie for a Cause’ campaign, which took place from 12-16 February, raising AED 23,000 for orphans through Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation, while highlighting the importance of community values and social responsibility.

SGG guides (aged 12-15) and brownies (7-11), sold over 1100 packs of cookies, provided by renowned bakery Zo’s Kitchen, at AED 20 each at American University of Sharjah, University of Sharjah, and the Higher College of Technology Sharjah Women's Colleges.

Following in the global Girl Scouts and Girl Guides cookie selling tradition - launched nearly a century ago to raise funds for guiding activities, SGG hosted the guiding tradition to raise funds for charity, allowing the girls to not only help other children, but also learn valuable leadership skills and gain experience in different charity programmes.

Shaikha Abdulaziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Manager at Sharjah Girl Guides, said: “The girls made the most of the opportunity to contribute to an extremely worthwhile cause and at the same time learn some positive lessons which will help them to develop into responsible and socially conscientious citizens. The campaign has proved to be highly effective from both a practical and humanitarian viewpoint, perfectly aligned with UAE’s 2017 Year of Giving.”

Through donating to the Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation, which helps with the development and care of orphans and provides them with financial and moral support, the girls also acquired some basic goal setting, decision making, money management and business ethics skills.

Al Shamsi added: “Our primary goals are to ensure that SGG plays a role in contributing to the local and national community and also to introduce new experiences which will help the girls later in life. With the Cookie for a Cause campaign we have combined these two elements with equal measure and equal success.”

The guiding movement was first established in Sharjah in 1973, after which it spread across the Emirates, giving rise to the Girl Guides Association of the United Arab Emirates in 1979. Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, SGG aims to inspire and nurture future generations to become progressive global citizens by providing a platform for girls to develop to their fullest potential.