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In the early 1980s, a young girl grew up with a similar dream-doing good deeds, helping others and giving back to the land.
It all started in 1971-the year of the alliance, the year of dreams, hopes and aspirations.
My father came from a small village in Fujairah and had big dreams. He always believed in the power of giving, the power of khair (kindness) and the power of kindness.
As one of the first members of the UAE Federal Council, he is one of many strong voices representing government needs. He joined the cabinet in 1977 as Minister of Agriculture and Water, and his love for the motherland has grown day by day. He likes palm trees, water, river valleys (valleys) and land.
Growing up, my father shared the story of the parliament of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Said Al Maktoum. We are always in awe of these stories. These legends, the ancestors of this country, are deeply invested in their people — all of us living in this rich land.
In the early 1980s, a young girl grew up with a similar dream-doing good deeds, helping others and giving back to the land. This girl has a younger sister who is autistic.
At that time, there was not much information about autism. People don’t understand the nuances that distinguish people with autism. Naturally, this girl and her family became activists, carrying out activities for people with autism and other needs. This family promotes people’s acceptance and tolerance of the spectrum. Volunteer for this cause, in her sister’s school and other ways, to become the girl’s calling since childhood.
In college, she tends to support projects for determined people. From photographing children with Down syndrome to American Sign Language printmaking projects, she knows her purpose.
This girl is now the mother of a beautiful girl with challenging medical needs. The precious gift she received from Allah was a special baby with a rare severe bilateral hearing loss. In this way, she opened the next chapter of her life. The different jigsaw puzzles in her life began to piece together.
When she was eager to find a way to communicate with her baby, she entered the world of sign language. Over time, her journey slowly became more obvious—to continue to play a role, support the family, and help the community. The roots have been firmly planted, and the tree has grown intricate branches.
This mother founded Kalimati, a social enterprise to support families and their children to receive the right treatment and services to meet their additional needs. She became one of the voices of social inclusion and system integration in the country.
In a short time, she is eager to do more, give more, and create more. She was inspired by stories she had heard when she was a child-stories about the founder, her land and her ancestors. She found creative channels to continue her radicalism. For the first time, she organized several international conferences for the deaf in the region, where the president of the world’s first university for the deaf delivered a keynote speech.
Unlike a typical conference that makes special arrangements for the deaf and hearing impaired, this conference provides an interpreter to translate sign language into regular speeches for hearing participants. As a result, attendees were forced to understand the daily challenges faced by the deaf and hard of hearing.
She has also participated in other creative projects and social art activities to support the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
This lady strongly believes in the power of partnership, cooperation, activities and sports. She hardly knew that this work would make a difference. She didn’t know that one day her role model, the ruler of this country, would reward her just because she was determined to give back to society.
It is unbelievable that so many achievements have been made in the past 50 years. When a person strives to realize his passion, the dream will come true. Our rulers undoubtedly set an example and show us that there is nothing impossible. The past 50 years have said a lot about the next 50 years. The beating heart of vision, will and belief is what we need to realize our dreams.
Bedour Saeed Al Raqbani is a social activist/social entrepreneur in the UAE.
This article is part of the “UAE 50” series and introduces the stories and journeys of people who call the UAE their home.You can share your personal story in the UAE through www.uaeyearof.ae
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