We must stop wasting our time

Many thought that the school year was never going to end and a lot of us are now engaged in summer jobs.

Some are off on their usual vacations visiting other countries for well-earned rest and relaxation, yet others are stuck at home wondering what to do with their precious time for the remainder of the break.
Well, many teenagers just squander their time in numerous shopping malls watching the latest movies and some may just waste their time in coffee shops. Others are out on the streets till late at night – which sometimes means until the early hours of the morning.
To be honest, I can’t say that I blame them. The bottomline is that for many there is nothing else to do.
This question has been raising its head in many newspapers and is a huge concern to the country.
Why are there so many children not making good use of their time?
When these children return to their schools to start another academic year they are often faced with huge problems that bring about many other concerns as well.
We hear often that there are not sufficient places to accommodate them over the summer holidays.
Some readers might suggest that they join one of the numerous clubs in the kingdom with programmes that offer a variety of sporting activities.
But they come at a high cost and many are more suited for children below 13 years of age.
Older youths need other opportunities that are more suited to their age group.
As an example, His Highness Shaikh Khaled bin Hamad Al Khalifa created an astonishing car that is full of creativity as part of his Grade 11 physics project.
This, for example, could encourage many to do the same.
There should be a society, club, or organisation in the kingdom that can help those who wish to contribute and aspire to achieve what Shaikh Khaled has – using one’s full potential and creativity.
His creativity has indeed inspired all of us.
We must stop wasting our free time and get up and do something valuable.
But we need the tools and facilities to help make it possible.

Youth Talk
By Ismaeel Na’ar
editor@gulfweekly.com