Forgotten and neglected for years, a small public duck park in the Shaab area of Hawally governorate had become a desolate place. Lifeless grass, waste dumped everywhere, and a contaminated pond endangered the ducks, deterring residents from visiting. Desperate for change, they reached out to Yousef Al-Omran, aka Bu Jarrah, a Kuwaiti social volunteer known for his community renovation projects, through his Instagram account.

Sporting sunglasses and dishdasha under the harsh sun, Bu Jarrah slipped his hands into gloves as he prepared to join his team in cleaning the park. “What we are witnessing today is a very urgent situation; that’s why we had to intervene,” Bu Jarrah told Kuwait Times, pointing towards the pond where a helpless duck was gasping for air during its last minutes.

(After) The duck pond after constructing a fence to protect the birds.

(Before) The duck pond before renovation.

A pedestrian bridge added to the pond.

Ducks eating from the ground before the park got cleaned

A pump was added to the pond for water circulation, providing essential oxygenation and filtration.

Haya Almaqroun, Vice President of Shaab Co-operative Society, who has been advocating for the park’s renovation over the past year and took proactive steps toward transforming it, said: “In the governmental sector, there is a lengthy paperwork process required to complete a single procedure. That’s why I believe the solution lies in the power of social media, which can motivate responsible authorities to facilitate the call for reform and development.”

Bu Jarrah said he couldn’t see something like this and turn his back on it. On the same day he saw the park, he reached out to a sponsor to fund the project and asked Shaab residents — children and adults — to join in. “The good news is that even the official authorities are cooperating with us on this project,” he said, adding his team is working under the supervision and approval of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources and with the collaboration of Shaab Cooperative Society. “They also promised us to provide maintenance for the park every two weeks.”

Almaqroun revealed that the co-op is planning to continue developing the rest of the park, particularly the children’s play area and walking paths. “It was once known as Hyde Park,” she recalled. The park’s history, she explained, dates back seven years, when the Alaradi family gifted the duck pond and play area to the residents of Shaab. However, after the patriarch’s death, almost no one was there to properly maintain it.

A duck enjoying a refreshing swim in the pond.

Bu Jarrah's team, workers and residents get ready to clean the park.

Ducks affected by dirt from the contaminated pond water.

A cat looks on as ducks bathe in the pond.

Yousef Al-Omran aka Bu Jarrah in the park before joining the renovation process

The changes that Bu Jarrah’s team made included clearing the entire area of waste, replacing the contaminated pond water with clean water, installing a water circulation pumping system to ensure water filtration and providing a designated box for the ducks’ food. Additionally, to enhance the park’s visual appeal, they introduced a pedestrian bridge, planted 20 cogon grass seedlings around the pond, constructed a 60 cm fence along the pond’s perimeter and restored the park’s damaged lighting.

One of Shaab’s residents, 11-year-old Youssef Al-Hadad, who has been visiting the park since he was four years old, expressed his excitement about the park’s transformation. “I want people to point at it and say Shaab Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Kuwait,” he said.