Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – A wing at Al-Bir Society’s Jeddah orphanage recently underwent a massive renovation thanks to the innovation of a young Saudi girl. The wing, named Birds of Paradise, is home to the youngest children at the orphanage, from newborns to five-year-olds.



As part of her high school graduation project, Rola Shawli, a Dar Al-Fikr student, dramatically transformed the bedroom and living area for these children from a plain and somewhat detached place to a cheerful, bright, and welcoming home.



Shawli and each of her peers were required to come up with a project and to plan, organize, and implement it within a given time frame in order to graduate from 12th grade.



Shawli was torn between her passion and fascination in architecture, design, and interior decorating and also her love for charity work and community service.



She said: “I discovered that I had a talent in décor and interior designing.



“I think it runs in my family; my grandfather, uncles, and sister are all amazing architects. I also love charity work so I decided to combine both my interests and take charge of redecorating and designing a part of the orphanage of Al-Bir Society.



“What better way to practice my talent than doing something for those who need it the most?



“I visited the center before I embarked on my project. To start with, the section for children under the age of five was not bad at all, but it was too basic. It felt more like a clinical center than a cozy home. This is not a temporary place for the kids; they live there, they are there every day, and it should feel more comfortable.”



Shawli quite literally stripped the place and redecorated and refurbished it, from the tiles on the floor to the children’s furniture.



She chose new furniture, the colors of the wallpaper, wall paint, murals, floorings, décor in the ceiling, pictures, lighting, and other accessories. “I took extra care in choosing the colors of the rooms because I believe that color has a pronounced psychological effect on people and it influences the mood, emotional state, and even behavior of children.”



Beige was a common backdrop on the walls because it was comforting.



Shawli also used certain shades of yellow, which is considered inspiring and producing feelings of optimism, creativity, confidence, and friendliness.



Green was also heavily used because it is the color of nature and helps create a comforting and calming environment.



During the long and laborious project that lasted for six months, Shawli visited the center several times, met the young children, and personally got to know them.



She befriended them and asked them what they hoped to become when they grow up.



“I became very fond of the five children who were waiting for my renovation project to be completed; they are three boys and two girls.



“I invited them to my house for some fun and a photo shoot session. I bought a costume for each child depending on the profession that each child had expressed a desire in.



“They wore their costumes for the photo session and I later developed the portraits, placed them in adorned frames and hung them on the wall in the center so the children can look at positive images of themselves and to help them realize their dreams in the future.



“We called this wall, the family wall.”



Loveable children’s cartoon characters were also painted on the bedroom walls, such as Winnie the Pooh.



One small room that previously served no official purpose and was mainly empty and unused was converted into a reading room; a quiet territory where the kids could read some good books or just relax.



Shawli said: “I learned that renovating a place is no easy task.



“It is exhausting buying the furniture, finding dedicated workers, selecting colors, and paying attention to every single detail. In the end, all the hard work was definitely worth it. Seeing the wide smiles on their faces wiped out my physical exhaustion.



“The first moment the children set their eyes on the place, they were amazed.



“They pointed at their favorite cartoon characters, chattered away, and then ran excitedly from room to room.”



The bighearted young Saudi student said the success of her project was made possible due to the support of the administration and teachers of her school, Al-Bir Society, and her sister Jumana Shawli who funded the project.



Mazen Batterjee, secretary general of Al-Bir, attended the opening ceremony of the young children’s wing in the orphanage and expressed admiration for Shawli’s work and her determination to make a difference to the lives of these young children.