Photos by Geraldine Fernandes
Qatar’s popular community outreach initiative #bigbmeetup celebrates Garangao – championing Sustainability, Inclusivity and Accessibility at Qatar Foundation’s Hadeeqa micro-farm with differently abled children and their families from various communities in Qatar.
The event had over 50 children from over 16 nationalities residing in Qatar showcasing the diversity of the country's communities and also the unity among them. Children from 2 years old to 14years had the choice of participating in three different upcycling and recycling art workshop conducted by Qatari artists Batool Jafar, Fatima Mohammed and Guzel Abdrakmanova.
Founder of #bigbmeetup Bosco Menezes opened the event with an introduction to the program and celebrating five years of bringing communities together. #bigbmeetup prides itself on being a zero plastic event.
Hadeeqa founder Vicky Damalou gave a speech on the benefits of having a green thumb and the environment workshops that the micro farm run for the community.
Two siblings Shirley and Ester El Sokhan gave a wonderful performance with their drum sets, enthralling the audience of over 100 at the micro-farm in Qatar Foundation.
Meanwhile, Aisha Al Amari, the Co-founder of Autism Parents Qatar, introduced the communities and shed light on the activities and accomplishments of their organization that promotes awareness within the autistic and neurodiverse communities of Qatar and beyond.
La Terre luxury a Qatari Sustainable fashion brand distributed a potted flower plant to each kid and their family with the aim and message of “Let’s nurture nature together”.
Local radio channel QBS Radio ran a Garangao competition and distributed goodie bags to all the children keeping with the essence of Ramadan and Garangao.
As a cultural exchange exercise, Qatari mothers also reminisced and narrated their personal Garangao stories and introduced the cultural part of Ramadan to the diverse audience.
Artist Batool brought authentic local cuisine to share with the participants, in keeping with the spirit of Ramadan.
Qatari children in different groups sang the famous and popular Garangao song with expatriate children joining in. True to #bigbmeetup’s motto of “bringing communities together’ To Inform, To educate and To Inspire.
Popular young Qatari green ambassador Noora Al Nabet, a student of Qatar Academy and advocate for a greener future in Qatar, also a member of Agency for Change - The environment advocacy organization of Qatar Academy spoke to the audience about the importance of reducing waste and removing the use of single use plastic from one's lifestyle.
"A big thank you to the volunteers from A Flower each Spring, Qatar’s first pro-environment non-profit founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza," the statement added.
A similar inclusive event is planned for during Eid, for more details please contact founder of #bigbmeetup - Bosco Menezes on 55340297
