[gallery td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="Summer clubs offer young women education and entertainment " size="medium" ids="72341,72342,72343,72344"] AS many as 23 summer clubs opened in Riyadh in June alone to help girls and young women make the best of their summer vacation. The clubs offer various activities that cater to different tastes of participants. Al-Riyadh daily reports on how the clubs help develop the skills and capabilities of women in various fields. Fawziya Al-Kuwairan, director of a summer club located in Al-Shifa neighborhood, said 205 girls, aged between four and 24, signed up for the club. "We offer tourism, entertainment, volunteer and business programs to all participants. There is no subscription fee and admission is free, which is why we have a large number of girls. Clubs like ours are run and funded by the local education administration," Al-Kuwairan said. The tourism program takes girls to visit museums, libraries and crafts exhibitions while the entertainment program consists of different sections like family, decoration and interior design, cultural and scientific competitions and calligraphy contests. "The volunteer program gives girls a chance to participate as volunteers in environmental awareness drives and initiatives that aim to help needy families and disabled children. Girls also get to take crash courses on first aid and health education. The business program trains girls how to market products and offer customer service," she said while adding the club also has separate programs for people with disabilities. Hayfa Al-Alool, director of another club, said summer clubs started three years ago to allow young women to participate in different activities and acquire new skills and most importantly, take advantage of their free time by doing something constructive. "Our club is visited by 1,237 girls who get to participate in sports, cultural, health, entertainment and art activities. We strive to meet the needs of all members and make everyone happy," she said. Khairiya Al-Hazmi, director of a local women's club, complained that disbursement of the budget allocated by the pertinent educational agency for the club, around SR51,000, is often delayed. Al-Hazmi said in many cases she finds herself obliged to pay the salaries of club staff from her own pocket. She also said her club is in dire need of maintenance and much of the equipment must be replaced. "Our air-conditioners and bathrooms need maintenance. Not many girls have shown interest in our club, perhaps due to these problems. Another issue is that a lot of people don't know about these summer clubs. The authorities need to run an extensive campaign and raise awareness about these clubs and encourage more people to participate," she said. Nouf Al-Otaibi, educational supervisor in charge of women's clubs at Riyadh Educational Administration, confirmed that disbursement of budgets earmarked for women's clubs are sometimes delayed and this makes the job of club directors more difficult. She also agreed that a comprehensive media campaign is needed so more women become aware of the opportunities they can avail of. Al-Otaibi also said the private sector can provide financial support to summer programs and other initiatives offered by these clubs.
