“Turtle Friend” Awareness Art Competition Brings Sira Students Together to Protect Marine Life

Ruaa Centre for Strategic Studies, Consultation and Training organized today, Sunday, an environmental drawing competition titled “Turtle Friend… With Your Brush the Story Begins”, under the patronage of the Aden Governorate Office of Education and in coordination with the General Authority for Environmental Protection in Aden.
The competition, held at Arwa Primary School for Girls, was organized as part of the “Save Marine Turtles in the Gulf of Aden” project, supported by the Global Environment Facility and the Small Grants Programme. Dr. Jaklin Mansoor Al-Batani, Head of the Centre, stated that the competition forms part of the centre’s efforts to enhance environmental awareness among students and engage them in marine conservation issues. She emphasized that art and drawing are effective tools for instilling the values of protecting endangered species, especially marine turtles.
Al-Batani added that the project aims to involve the local community—particularly students and youth—in protecting marine turtles along the Gulf of Aden coast through various awareness and educational activities, including art competitions, environmental lectures, and field programs, contributing to building a generation more conscious of the importance of preserving marine biodiversity.
For his part, Eng. Niazi Mustafa, Director of the General Authority for Environmental Protection Office in Aden, praised the initiative for helping spread environmental culture among students, stressing the importance of partnership between government entities and civil society organizations in strengthening efforts to protect the marine environment and preserve endangered species.
Meanwhile, Khaled Haitham, Director of School Activities at the Aden Office of Education, explained that such school activities help develop students’ creative skills and instill a sense of responsibility toward the environment, highlighting the importance of continuing awareness programs that connect education with environmental and community issues.
The competition saw the participation of 30 students from six basic education schools in Sira District, who presented distinctive awareness-focused artwork on marine turtle protection through paintings and drawings expressing the beauty of the marine environment and the importance of preserving this endangered marine species.
The artworks reflected remarkable environmental awareness among the students, portraying the threats marine turtles face due to plastic pollution, illegal fishing, and harmful practices affecting the coastal environment. Through their art, the students delivered meaningful messages promoting marine environmental protection and reinforcing values of responsibility toward nature and biodiversity along the Gulf of Aden coast.
At the conclusion of the competition, the winners of the top four places were honored with awards and medals. The two youngest participants were also recognized, along with all other participating students in appreciation of their creativity and active engagement. The honoring ceremony also included the Aden Office of Education administration, the Director of School Environment, the Office of Education in Sira District, and the administration of Arwa School, in recognition of their role in the success of the awareness event and their support for purposeful environmental activities.