The UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) sponsored Designathon 2017, held at Dubai, to involve children in designing and developing innovative solutions and concepts that contribute to a better future for all. Under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), Suqia aims to raise awareness about water issues and conservation of natural resources, among children and youth.
The competition, which was held in Dubai for the first time, brought together approximately 500 students from 18 cities worldwide, aged 7-12, the competition was held under the slogan ‘Water’, where students worked simultaneously, through an online live stream. The live stream showed students designing and developing sustainable solutions to water issues, building prototypes of these solutions, and discussing their dimensions. At the end of the competition, the participating students presented their work for final evaluation by a panel of experts, including a representative to select four winning projects.
“We work under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to raise awareness, among the youth, about the environment, natural resources and sustainable development. At Suqia, we are keen to support initiatives and events dedicated to future generations, based on our belief in the importance of developing creativity and innovation among children and youth, especially in issues related to sustainability. Youth are the strength of any nation and its hope for a better future, and the country’s prosperity and future lie in their hands,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Al Tayer highlighted that Designathon is an important event that enables students to unleash their potentials and ideas, and gives them a sense of the importance of their ideas and contributions to finding solutions to the challenges facing the world. At Designathon 2017, the children faced many challenges to address water scarcity and pollution, as well as other water issues, through creativity and innovation. The best investment is investing in minds and creating generations capable of coping with today’s challenges, and overcoming them using new technologies and new ideas.
“This initiative is part of the UAE’s efforts to raise awareness among school students about water issues, rationalise their consumption, preserve the environment and natural resources, promote innovation among youth, and encourage them to think outside the box to find innovative solutions and support green practices. We are keen to contribute to the preparation of a creative and innovative generation, that prioritises sustainability, to involve them in the process of creating the future, and achieving the goals of sustainable development,” said Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia.
Suqia continues to organise an awareness programme for school students in Dubai, in collaboration with Surge; a global non-profit organisation for water, sanitation, and hygiene projects. This is part of DEWA’s efforts to educate future generations about the global water crisis and water scarcity, as well as teach youth about rationalisation of resources.