Orphans had a happy and hectic day this week as Saudi Aramco presented them gifts and organized special entertainment programs for them as part of the Eid festival. About eleven charity bodies as well as orphans associations from Jeddah and Makkah joined Aramco in the Al-Shalal (entertainment location) on Wednesday from 5 P.M till well past 11 at night to celebrate Eid with the orphans. “Our duty is to communicate with society and encourage other companies to support social services,” said Nabil Baashn, head of Aramco in the Western Region. According to Baashn, such events make all the children happy, not only the orphans. The event also offered a look into the Kingdom's history by displaying the country's culture and traditions. Traditional food and clothes were also on display. “We have tried to make the children aware of their country's past by offering them special traditional clothes, food, and Zamzam water,” added Baashn. The traditional show gave the children a brief idea about Jeddah's history,” said Abdullah, a child participant. All the participating children were from different associations and they presented fashion shows representing their organizations, Baashn said. Noted actor Hani Abu Al-Soud and his band presented many shows under the theme “Eid is beautiful with you.” “I was very happy today when I saw orphans celebrating Eid as if their parents were still alive,” Said Nuha Azzam, a Saudi citizen. Aramco's efforts in this direction is an encouragement for other companies to do something constructive for orphans, she said. Muna Shadad, a Saudi teacher, hoped that Aramco would organize more such events for orphans and the needy. Sixty students from charity associations in Jeddah and Makkah received awards on the occasion for their outstanding skills in different fields. “We trained about 60 students for several months in our company by giving them interesting courses such as computer, English language, swimming, and Qur'an,” said Baashn. __
