Sharjah Girl Guides’ Escapade Club members learn responsible hiking

The Sharjah Girl Guides has hosted two workshops in August for young members of its Escapade Club that offered essential guidelines on the planning and preparation for a problem-free hiking trip and provided insights from seasoned hikers.

 

Guides (12-15 years) and Senior Guides (16-18 years) were taught to differentiate between mild and critical injuries in the August 8 workshop titled, ‘Basic First Aid Hike Preparation’. To enhance the personal development skills of the young girls and make them self-dependent, a recorded video tutorial provided vital knowledge of a backpacker’s essential first aid kit and how best to use the supplies to treat some of the more common injuries or emergencies on a hiking trail. The young guides were given training in the appropriate manner of using the items in the first-aid kit.

 

With the goal of developing their risk assessment capabilities, and stimulating decision making and learning how to prioritise in the event of a catastrophe, the young girls were also made aware of the importance of having an action plan and taught how to make the right choices using alternative solutions in the absence of first-aid kits.

At the live ‘Escapade Talk’ session held on August 17, prominent hikers Jawaher Almail and Maha Hussein shared their stories of transforming their passions into adventurous careers. They relived some of the most memorable moments of this journey, describing how the passion for the outdoors first began and the initial struggles she encountered before new horizons eventually opened. Perseverance, she said, was the key to achieve success.

 

In a message to the guides, Trainer Paige said that while being in nature helped create a positive mindset, it was imperative to plan and prepare for any hiking trip. She advised the girls to make a realistic assessment of their skill sets and equip themselves with the necessary tools, kits, and knowledge to improve their chances of dealing with any unexpected situation.

 

The two August workshops were held in line with SGG’s commitment to provide a wide range of creative and educational programmes for its young members to develop their potential.