Positive changes in school work, lifestylesJEDDAH - Some might think that building a modern park in a poor district like Al-Qurayyat in south Jeddah is a bad idea since it would only end up being destroyed by young vandals in the area. But the members of the Friends of Jeddah Parks Society (FJP) do not think that way. Instead they say that their experience in building Faisal Sports Park, a modern sports facility in Al-Qurayyat, has proved that the attitude of young people toward public property can be changed as long as they can be made to see that the facility is for their own use and belongs to their community. FJP built Faisal Sports Park three years ago on empty land owned by the mayoralty in association with the owner of Al-Zahid Tractor Group as a gift for the residents of the local area. Mohammad Ali, FJP's financial advisor, said that the Al-Zahid owner wanted to dedicate a mosque or a charitable project in the name of his son who had died in a car accident some years ago. “We told the father that helping poor people find a clean and safe place for playing sports is no less rewarding in the hereafter than building a mosque,” Ali said. He added that arrangements were made with the mayoralty to develop the empty plot of land that local youth had used for years as a football playground. “Now three years after Faisal Sports Park was built, we can safely say that this project has contributed to positively changing the attitude of the local young people educationally, socially and personally,” he said. Mayan Zawawi, FJP administrative member, said that a study conducted by the Think and Link Research Office on the young men who make use of the park's facilities demonstrated positive changes in their school work and lifestyles in general. Mosa Madani, an educational specialist who lives in Al-Qurayyat, said that the park has taught the youth who use it how to value time and public facilities. “It is a free sports facility and there are lots of teams involved in football sessions during their scheduled times,” Madani said. “If a team is late and does not use its allotted time, the boys will miss their chance to play on that day.” He said that youth in the local community realize that they cannot find a place to play that is modern and free of charge and also near their homes, so they are very keen to take care of their park. “I would love to see similar parks in each neighborhood in Jeddah,” said Madani. The Faisal Sports Park Director, Sameer Mizjaji, said that there were some difficulties in the beginning with the youngsters as some of them engaged in minor vandalism, but that over time, they realized that this park was meant for their own good. “We also conduct summer programs where young men can attend computer courses, learn CV writing and speaking skills and take part in other programs that we arrange with the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry (JCCI), the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and other organizations,” said Al-Mizjaji. He added that the park is now scheduling daily sports programs for more than 70 teams from Al-Qurayyat and different districts. The Friends of Jeddah Parks Society has also opened a park in Khaldiyah district and hopes to soon open another in Al
