7 minute read
UAE - Pay It Forward
Goans across the globe are known for their kind, compassionate, and helpful nature. They are renowned for their active social engagement and dedication to community welfare. There are several Goan individuals in different parts of the world who are actively involved in various social welfare initiatives. One among these many dedicated Goans is Mrs. Mehsoon Kazi Ladak.
A native of Goa’s commercial capital Margao, Mehsoon has been based in the UAE since 2007. She has worked for many years as an events executive for prominent hotels in the UAE including Jumeirah and Movenpick. Apart from being occupied with work and raising her two children Kainaat and Kabir, she is also very much involved in social welfare activities. She is the co-founder of a social welfare group called "UAE-Pay It Forward''. The group is a community of new mothers who support each other in times of need. Operating as a group on Facebook, this community of amazing women has now reached a strength of more than 23,000 members. Only women living in the UAE are permitted to be a part of the group.
Team UAE-Pay It Forward
The group was founded in 2016 by Mrs. Kavita Faiz, a native of Noida, U.P, who has been based in Dubai since 2010. An aeronautical engineer by qualification, Kavita currently works for Airbus in Dubai. Apart from work, she is also a mother to two loving children. She attends to her professional and personal commitments and manages the group at the same time with the assistance of her admin team. In addition to Mehsoon, there are six other members in the admin team of UAE-Pay It Forward. They are:
Diana D’souza from Mumbai
Gazal Khazi Syed from Goa
Sufana Hassan from Kerala
Christmar Adhil from Philippines
Kiran Saeed from Pakistan
Kaycee Sepida from Philippines
This diverse team works tirelessly to manage the group's activities and ensure its smooth operation.
Inspiration Behind Starting UAE-Pay It Forward
Kavita started "UAE-Pay It Forward'' with a simple idea in mind: “Do something nice for someone and ask them to do the same for someone else!”. This creates a ripple effect of goodness and positivity. She was inspired to start the group after looking at her son's items (toys, clothes, school supplies), which he outgrew but were still in good shape. She could have sold them but wanted to give them away for free. She believed that every child deserves the same things that her child had. She wanted to spread love and kindness without any price. She searched for existing charities and groups in the UAE where she could donate these items to, but couldn't find any. During this time, she realised that she was not alone and that there were several other new mothers in the UAE looking exactly for such a platform. So, she started "UAE-Pay It Forward'' as a group on Facebook where people could donate items to families in need and help them find a new home. Just a few months after it began, Mehsoon joined Kavita and began assisting her in running the group.
A Community Beyond Donations
"UAE-Pay It Forward" is more than just a donation platform. It is also a forum where women, especially new mothers, can connect with one another for advice, companionship, and assistance during times of need. Apart from their main activity of donating items to other families in need "UAE-Pay It Forward" also conducts several other unique and impactful initiatives for members of the group. These include:
1. Online Support: "UAE-Pay It Forward" regularly organizes free online support sessions for members of the group and their children. The group admins urge members of the group who are educators, healthcare professionals, yoga instructors, entrepreneurs, coaches, doctors and fitness instructors to come forward and offer online development classes to anyone in the group who would need them.
2. Grocery Support: "UAE-Pay It Forward" regularly assists families in need with groceries, baby essentials and other necessary items that they may require. The admin team connects families in the group who are ready to donate with people who are in need.
3. Box of Wisdom and Educational Support: As part of their “Box of Wisdom” initiative, several members of "UAE-Pay It Forward" share their professional knowledge and expertise with other members of the group through books or in person. Group members also support needy children from the group by donating items they require for their education. These include items such as laptops, printers, tablets, iPads and school uniforms.
4. Festival initiatives and Birthday Bash: "UAE-Pay It Forward" also organizes initiatives such as "Ramadan Fairy", "Secret Santa” and “Birthday celebrations” where mothers from the group fulfil children's wishes that were posted in the group under these initiatives. During these programs, many children receive new clothes or toys for the first time!
5. Medical Aid: The admin team of "UAE-Pay It Forward" donates wheelchairs and other medical equipment (medical beds, walkers, crutches, recliner chairs and cushions, toilet aid equipment, etc.) to group members in need of such kinds of items.
All the assistance provided by the group is done without collecting money. Instead, the group admin team directly puts volunteer families in touch with families in need.
Response from the Public
The response from the public to "UAE-Pay It Forward" when it just started was quite slow, but gradually generated a lot of interest as time went by. Since it was a first of its kind in the UAE, the admin team of "UAE-Pay It Forward" was not expecting much, but over time, the group has gone from strength to strength and has now reached more than 23K members and growing.
The group has received a lot of publicity from various media outlets in the UAE. The admin team of the group has been interviewed on a popular UAE radio channel called 100.3 FM. Their story has also been publicized in leading UAE dailies like Khaleej Times and Gulf News, The National and several local podcasts.
The Ripple Effect of Kindness
The success of "UAE-Pay It Forward" lies in its simple yet powerful philosophy. By encouraging members to pay it forward, the group has created a ripple effect of kindness and joy that continues to spread throughout the UAE. It exemplifies how small acts of generosity can lead to significant positive changes in a community.
The group also helps people to meet one of the UN’s sustainable development goals to reduce, reuse and recycle. The members contribute to waste reduction by giving away items they no longer need to families who can benefit from them.
In a world often dominated by materialism and individualism, "UAE-Pay It Forward" stands out as a beacon of hope and compassion. Through their collective efforts, Kavita, Mehsoon, Diana and their team have built more than just a support group. They have fostered a vibrant and caring community that embodies the true spirit of giving and mutual support.
As the group continues to grow, it remains dedicated to its core mission: to unite new mothers, help them support each other, and create a better, more compassionate society, one act of kindness at a time.
