I am originally from Mauritius but my family migrated to France when I was a year-and-a-half. My mother is my guiding force and she instilled in me a sense of discipline and order. When I think about my childhood, the first image that comes to mind is of my father working hard so my siblings and I could go to the best schools. He is an autodidact. But even in his struggle to make a living, he would always find time to help the less fortunate.
I believe children are stars on earth. A child should receive unconditional love, compassion and care. All these things will reflect in a child's eyes if you look into them. I have two daughters, aged nine and seven. They are my source of inspiration, my energy.
Around five years ago I met George Itty. He is also a passionate social worker. Keen to realise our social work dreams, we set up Nahtam, which means ‘we care'. George is the CEO of Nahtam. The idea behind Nahtam is to address the needs of the community, acknowledging that neither the government nor the corporate sector can do everything.
I love Abu Dhabi. After living here for over six years, I feel at home here. It is a family-friendly, safe place. Emiratis are naturally welcoming and warm people. My only concern is road safety, as I see many children not restrained by a seat belt in a car. We decided to produce a series of video games for children. We asked our IT department to design the games. The first was based on road safety and it was an instant hit with parents and children.
We approached a lot of companies to help us produce games on a large scale and make them available for children for free. But unfortunately, we have had no luck.
It is sad when people look at everything from the point of view of how financially gainful it will be. Another project we undertook was acquiring a mobile planetarium to show Nasa content to schoolchildren in the UAE. We teamed up with Yusuf Ali, of the EMKE group, to sponsor the Planetarium in Madinat Zayed Mall. It was a great success.
A hotel in the capital was looking for a cause to take on as a CSR initiative. We suggested they visit the Al Noor Centre for Special Needs Children in Abu Dhabi. The management team did, and was touched by the condition of the children. They were also amazed by the children's abilities. A few days later, they came up with a programme to raise funds for a much-needed bus for the centre. They also decided to organise another programme to raise awareness about the creative talents of the children through an art exhibition in their lobby. One of our volunteers, Kenza Al Khadiri, repaired her old piano and decided to teach music lessons to a few kids at Al Noor. A few sessions later, a girl from the adjacent arts and crafts class came and asked Kenza to give her a chance to play. For a child who had never touched a piano, she played pretty well. Later, the headmistress of the school told me the child was deaf! I had goosebumps when I heard that.
I want to make people realise how much social responsibility is critical to the progress of the society. Executives are increasingly looking to use their core business to do social good as well. There is a need for companies to reconnect business success with social progress.
I felt honoured, humbled and grateful when I received the Abu Dhabi award last year. [The award seeks to highlight contributions of people who have to supported the community] Whatever I have achieved, it is thanks to the support of many people around me. I hope it inspires others to take action for the greater good. It is not only about how much money you can donate but also about how much time you can give to those in need. I have to pay tribute here to my supportive husband.
Quick questions
What's your greatest strength?
Our team of volunteers at Nahtam.
What are the main features of the Special Care Centre you are planning in Abu Dhabi.
The campus will have a hydrotherapy pool, cycling track, clinic, gym, chill-out rooms etc, to make life easier for the special needs community.
Nahtam's plans?
I am passionate about our new community project to celebrate the Mandela International Day. Mandela had asked people around the world to celebrate July 18 (his birthday) by dedicating 67 minutes (he spent 67 years serving his community) of their time to community work.
Bio
- Who: Isabelle Le Bon Poonoosamy
- What: Co-Founder, Vice-President of Nahtam Social Responsibility, Abu Dhabi
- Where: Abu Dhabi
