Dubai: For Faisal Umar, life turned upside down in 2006. A bad leg injury after a site accident, constant harassment by his employer who refused to return his passport or have him treated and a sudden stroke that left him paralysed made his life a nightmare.
The Indian labourer from Ajman was finally repatriated to his native Kerala. But a worse fate awaited him: his wife refused to take him back, leaving him in the care of his aged mother.
Dismal tales
Cut to 2008. Azad Mia, another labourer, is hit by a speeding vehicle in Sharjah. He suffers multiple fractures and a brain injury, following which he is admitted to Al Qasimi Hospital.
A year later he is sent back to Bangladesh. But there is little reason for cheer: he is in no condition to support his wife or five children.
Dismal tales like these of Umar and Mia abound. Victims of circumstance, their lives have changed forever. Many of these former UAE residents have no one to turn to.
Their employers have long forgotten them, and in many cases even their families and friends have deserted them.
However, the New Year has brought a glimmer of hope for them, with help coming from an unexpected quarter — the Dubai-based NGO Valley of Love (VoL).
Working at the grassroots level, VoL has been doing its bit to improve the lives of low-income workers and poor patients in hospitals since 1998.
"But we cannot stop here as many of these people are in a hopeless condition," said Joseph Bobby, VoL Vice-President.
He said the NGO, which has identified 43 former residents living in despair in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, has been following up their cases and doing what it can to raise funds to support them.
"It's a very difficult task," he said. But thanks to Dubai's large-heartedness, a recent event, he said, helped raise Dh132,910 for the hapless former residents.
Manoj Nair, another VoL volunteer, said the money was raised at this year's "Cricket for a Cause" tournament organised by the Baskin Robbins Cricket Club at InSportz Club.
"This annual tournament in which a number of corporate teams participate has been contributing to such victims for four years," said Nair, who works with Baskin Robbins.
"This year our collection has surpassed the 2009 figure of Dh101,569," he said. The money collected is distributed among the needy victims to provide for their medical treatment, education of children, shelter and day-to-day expenses, Joseph said.
"Our volunteers visit these people regularly or at least stay in touch with them," he said, adding that besides economic help, they also need emotional support.
