The Department of Community Development has concluded the activities of the first and experimental stage of the "Active Pioneers" programme in partnership with the Department of Health. Over 800 participants from 9 department entities and institutions from the government sector in Abu Dhabi came together with the aim of advancing their fitness levels.
The first phase of "Active Pioneers", part of the Abu Dhabi’s "Ghadan 21" accelerator programme, spanned 21 days, included many physical activities, exercises and testing tasks for participants to master.
Participants were provided with activity tracking devices and the MoveSpring app. This helped to measure each individual’s fitness level and contributed to raising awareness of the importance of adopting healthy eating behaviour in addition to exercising.
On this occasion, His Excellency Dr. Mugheer Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development - Abu Dhabi, stressed that “The “Active Pioneers” initiative is a translation of our wise leadership thought that promotes the concept of quality of life and well-being. This is confirmed by the endeavours made by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to support and embrace the community programmes that enhance its position as a pioneer in creating initiatives that improve the quality of life for the society.
His Excellency added: "The programme came out after a deep study conducted by the Department of Community Development with the aim of identifying the needs of the various segments of the society and identifying their future aspirations. As public sector employees in Abu Dhabi are considered the engine of development in the government and the basis of its current and future renaissance, we have designed "Active Pioneers" to be a platform that establishes employee health as a necessity to sustain.”
According to the “Quality of Life Questionnaire” implemented by the department in 2018, it showed that 31% of Abu Dhabi’s community do not exercise at all or do it rarely.
Al-Khaili said: “From this experience, we are looking forward to moving towards the launch of the main stage of the programme, which will be held early next year. Within a comprehensive two-year programme, “Active Pioneers” will be one of the innovative programmes that contributes to creating a competitive atmosphere among employees in the region. It also contributes to promoting community integration among employees and helps strengthen the bonds of harmony between them. "
The Chairman of the Department of Community Development stated that “The Department of Community Development, organized the "Get Fit Abu Dhabi" initiative, the main umbrella of the "Active Pioneers" programme with the aim of building a more cohesive, healthy and happier society, as it seeks through these programmes to increase physical fitness and health by more than 20% by 2021”.
The percentage of female employees participating in the programme reached 48% of the total participants - emphasizing their strong presence in all fields of work and their aspiration to achieve more. The activities and events of the programme have also been designed to suit "People of Determination", serving as the ideal platform for them to outline their achievements.
The first phase of the programme included: Department of Community Development, Abu Dhabi Government Media Office, Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Department of Energy, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, Human Resources Authority, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Authority of Social Contribution “Ma’an”, Department of Education and Knowledge.
For more information about the initiative, please visit: getfitabudhabi.com
