Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah (Sajaya), a subsidiary of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, hosted a number of workshops at its stand as part of its involvement in the 36th edition of Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2017). Featuring workshops covering a variety of topics aimed at fostering creativity, the sessions saw a huge turnout of fair visitors wanting to gain new skills in artistic areas.

During Sajaya’s ‘Make Wooden Dolls’ workshop, participants learned how to fashion attractive mannequins out of wood, while the ‘Create Pen Carriers’ workshop saw them recycle a range of materials to make handy receptacles for carrying writing instruments. Attendees at the ‘Make Paper Book Marks’ workshop were given tips on how to design stylish book marks from recycled cardboard, while the ‘Learn Storyboarding’ workshop challenged visitors to write stories that matched the illustrations that handed to them.

Other workshops at the Sajaya stand included ‘The Sajaya Studio: Polish Your Photography Skills,’ which was tailored to help participants learn and sharpen their shutter-clicking capabilities. The attendees were shown how to take a captivating picture with an instant camera, print it onto cardboard and then decorate its frame. With a focus on images in close-up, Sajaya also conducted the ‘Make a Microscope’ session that taught how to make a microscope from cardboard, plastic pieces and colourful beads.

“SIBF offers an ideal platform for people to gain new experiences and to learn innovative techniques to help them develop their creative skills. The fair is the perfect opportunity for Sajaya to engage with a large segment of our target audience, especially considering that it enjoys an impressive turnout by thousands of school pupils who are given days off to attend,” said Sheikha Aisha Khalid Al Qasimi, Director of Sajaya.

“We have been keen through our participation in this year’s edition to present a diverse package of workshops that are designed to ignite the innovative and creative spirit in people of all ages,” she added.

Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah is dedicated to advancing the talents and building the confidence of girls aged 13 to 18 years in an array of creative fields. Originally founded in 2004 under the umbrella of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs as a subsidiary department of Sharjah Children Centres, it was declared an independent body in 2012 following an administrative order issued by HH Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and Chairperson of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators.