KUWAIT: To mark Canadian Thanksgiving 2025 and Urban October 2025, UN-Habitat, the Embassy of Canada in Kuwait, the Youth Public Authority, Shamiya Greenhouse and the Canadian Women’s Network in Kuwait hosted the children’s event “Come Plant with Us!” On the sidelines of the event, the Ambassador of Canada to Kuwait, Tara Scheurwater, highlighted the spirit of gratitude and community as the Canadian Embassy celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with an environmental and educational event held at the Shamiya Greenhouse.

Ambassador Scheurwater explained that Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated at the beginning of October, marking the harvest and its connection to nature, as well as the appreciation of its abundance. She added, “In Canada, when we celebrate Thanksgiving, we do so at the beginning of October because it’s a celebration of the harvest. It’s inextricably linked with nature and with the gratitude we feel for the world around us,” expressing appreciation to the hosts for providing a space that encourages environmental awareness and community engagement.

“We decided to come to this wonderful location with our great hosts, who always do such a fantastic job welcoming the people of Kuwait. The facility here celebrates nature and teaches children and visitors the importance of cultivating and appreciating plants, as well as learning more about recycling and doing our part for the environment,” the Canadian ambassador noted. She added that the Embassy hoped the event would provide an opportunity for visitors to enjoy a meaningful and fun-filled day, while also fostering a sense of gratitude for the natural world. Additionally, the event emphasized the importance of volunteer work, with participation from several community organizations.

She said, “We have so many volunteers here today. I think we might even have more volunteers than children. Volunteers from the Canadian Women’s Association, the Youth Public Authority and the Shamiya Greenhouse have all given up their weekend to be part of this event, along with my colleagues from the Embassy.” Meanwhile, the Head of the UN-Habitat Program in Kuwait, Ameera Alhassan, highlighted the importance of environmental education, community engagement, and volunteerism as part of the UN-Habitat October Urban month celebrations.

She explained that every October, cities around the world host UN-Habitat activities promoting sustainable urban living. In Kuwait, the program collaborates annually with the Shamiya Greenhouse and this year marks the third consecutive year of organizing an educational and environmental event for children in cooperation with the Embassy of Canada. “The goal of this activity is to harness the energy of youth to train children through hands-on activities inspired by the natural environment around us. The seeds, plants, and materials used in the four main activities are all derived from natural elements found within the reserve such as seeds and tree leaves.”

She added that the activities are designed to engage children based on their talents and interests, explaining “Those with artistic abilities can join the art workshop, while others can participate in story reading or planting activities, including sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings. The idea is to step away from technology for a while and reconnect with nature especially in light of global climate change.” Alhassan emphasized that the initiative aims to provide families and children with a fun and educational weekend activity, fostering cooperation between the Kuwaiti community and the Canadian community, while encouraging learning through play; acknowledging the ongoing support of the Public Authority for Youth, which manages the Shamiya Greenhouse.

“The Authority continuously supports us, not only for this event but throughout the year. Every Saturday morning, we organize similar activities based on the season such as the recent date-harvest season, and soon we’ll host a Seed Exchange Day,” she said. She further highlighted the importance of promoting biodiversity, noting that the diversity of seeds strengthens plants, noting “It’s important to raise awareness that we shouldn’t always plant the same type of crop, we need variety to sustain healthy ecosystems.”

On volunteerism, Alhassan stressed its critical role in community development, stating “UN-Habitat has a special section dedicated to youth engagement and volunteerism and strongly encourages the training of students and volunteers. The United Nations also has a dedicated body called the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, which allows people from around the world to contribute their skills through volunteer work.”

She concluded by emphasizing that UN-Habitat encourages everyone from youth and retirees to homemakers to make good use of their free time in productive and meaningful ways that benefit society. This year’s Urban October was celebrated under the global theme “Local Actions, Global Impact,” which highlighted the importance of community-driven initiatives that contribute to sustainable urban development and climate action. Urban October began with World Habitat Day on October 6 and will conclude with World Cities Day on October 31, bringing together communities worldwide to reflect on how urban life can become more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

Held for the third consecutive year, the event once again highlighted the strong collaboration between the Kuwaiti and Canadian communities in promoting environmental awareness and their shared commitment to greening Kuwait. It reflected the community’s continued dedication to sustainability, volunteerism, and civic engagement essential values that contribute to building greener, cleaner and more sustainable cities.

Children and their families enjoyed a variety of engaging and educational activities, including Sustainable Scavenger Hunt, Green Thumb Project, Art & Craft Corner and Community Narratives. The event reflected the deep friendship between Canada and Kuwait, as well as the continued cooperation between their communities in advancing youth engagement, environmental stewardship and climate action.