By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter


Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) launched the Yalla Natural Roadshow campaign as part of its Your Health First initiative at the Doha Corniche yesterday.
The roadshow provides tips on health, fitness, cooking and gardening and participants will have the opportunity to interact with WCMC-Q experts as well as engage in other activities.
In this new initiative to educate nationals and residents about the importance of nutrition and exercise, WCMC-Q has parked a trailer that displays a variety of vegetables and gardening plants, among others, near Sheraton Park.
As part of the roadshow, the Yalla Natural Trailer will be stationed for two days at different places over the coming weekends starting from the Corniche, where the vehicle will be open to the public today from 4pm to 10pm.
The trailer will be at the Sealine Qatar Olympic Winter Camp on February 26 and 27, following which it will move to Aspire Zone on March 5 and 6 and be at Katara on March 26 and 27.
Hanan Lakkis, media relations manager at WCMC-Q, observed that the initiative has a unique approach. “We are promoting organic cultivation of vegetables, which can be done on the terrace or the sides of windows of buildings. This will provide natural and healthy food items as well as provide room for physical activity.”
Lakkis said the university has engaged several schools in greenhouse cultivation. “Last year, we supported and engaged students from 15 independent schools in  the greenhouse projects, which were a huge success. Now, there are 40 schools where we have provided greenhouses and all them have started to grow vegetables.”
Ahmed al-Qahtani, a student from WCMC-Q, was present on the occasion to teach the participants different exercises. He demonstrated various simple-to-do exercises and many of the onlookers also joined him.
There were also cooking demonstrations in which chefs from Amlak Hospitality displayed the preparation of several healthy dishes. They also highlighted the importance of salads, specially made from organic vegetables free from chemicals and fertilisers. Visitors were also supplied with small cans to grow vegetables and other plants, along with seeds, saplings and soil.
Sahtak Awalan – Your Health First is a national health campaign  initiated by WCMC-Q and Qatar Foundation in partnership with several leading organisations in Qatar to promote health living habits among the population of Qatar.