Abu Dhabi: People all over the globe, including the UAE, observed November 13 as World Kindness Day. But for a few, acts of kindness are a year-round affair. They go beyond their call of duty to make a difference to people’s lives. Meet some of them:
Nermeen Selim, 35
Egyptian expat Nermeen Selim, 35, works as an IT manager for a company in Abu Dhabi. When her mother died five years ago, she decided she needed to do some charity work in order to give back to society.
“I started by distributing food packets at various labour camps in Abu Dhabi. During one of my visits to a women-only labour camp, I noticed how unkempt the inmates looked. Women usually like to dress well and look good. But these people had little time to spare for their personal upkeep.”
Determined to fill the void, Selim gathered some friends and went back to the camp to give the women a free beauty and spa treatment. The heartening response to the session, which included a manicure, pedicure and leg and hand massages, prompted Selim to make the service a permanent feature. The result: Selim and her team pamper the women of the camp free of cost at their doorstep once every month.
Dr Taisser Atrak, 57
Dr Taisser Atrak, chairman of pediatrics at Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, trains parents, teachers and nannies in pediatric first aid (PedFACTs) free of cost. In the last couple of years, he has held many workshops in his personal capacity to educate more than 200 people.
“PedFACTs teaches people what to do if a child in their care suddenly becomes ill or gets injured. At the end of the course they are better equipped to handle an emergency medical situation with a child,” said the doctor, an Abu Dhabi Awards winner. The reason why he doesn’t charge for the courses is to encourage as many people as possible to pick up a life-saving skill.
Manmeet Singh, 35
Indian expat Manmeet Singh, 35, is a project manager for an oil company in the capital. But he has touched the lives of many blue-collared workers by sending them cakes on their birthdays and making them feel special.
“My father always told me to do something good for society. This set me thinking about blue collared workers who seldom get to celebrate their birthdays. So I started compiling a list of birthdays of workers at various camps. I also asked my friends and colleagues to give me details of workers or helpers they knew. I called them to find out when their birthdays were. Soon, I had a data base of hundreds of workers.”
Singh sends out cakes to the workers either on his own or under an intiative called ‘Cake for cake’, where a free cake is donated everytime someone places an order with the Celebrating Life Bakery on Electra Street.
“It is heartening to see a smile on the workers’ faces when we greet them with a cake in our hand. A 55-year-old construction worker was so touched by our gesture that he started crying while cutting the cake. It was a very emotional moment for all of us. He said he had never ever cut a cake in his life and that we had made him feel very special,” claimed Singh.
Dr Ayesha Al Memari, 39
Dr Ayesha Musabbah Al Memari of Abu Dhabi is the first Emirati woman to specialise in emergency medicine and critical care. Also an Abu Dhabi Awards winner, she undertakes community initiatives and voluntary work. She has provided emergency care to Emirati soldiers in the Coalition Forces in the region. “I was doing my internship when my father fell ill. He developed complications because of lack of emergency care. I realised access to emergency doctors is key to saving lives. To me, kindness is being human. Everyone must go that extra mile and give a thought to someone who is less fortunate.”
