Tomorrow's World: 'Working really hard pays'

The children of today are the adults of tomorrow. They shape the future and reflect our progress. What are the hopes and aspirations of our kids? How do they see themselves contributing to a better world? What do they feel, think, believe and desire? Every week, we zoom in on the youth living in the Emirates, and hear what they have to say

Children of the Week: Aliya and Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey

Sisters seem to share a special bond, quite unlike any other. Aliya and Ayesha Pakravan-Ovey may differ in their personality and interests but they are there for each other, through thick and thin.

British by nationality, they moved to the emirates in 1999. Dubai is home for their mother Shanaz Pakravan, a well-known television producer and presenter. Father David Ovey is a commercial pilot, who shares his fondness for the country, too.

Elder of the two is Aliya, 12 years old. She studies at the Jumeirah College in Dubai and enjoys playing the piano, dancing, scuba diving, synchronised swimming, cooking and basketball.

Nine-year old Ayesha is a student at the Jumeirah Primary School. She is passionate about horse riding, football and playing the violin.

With lots of ideas and opinions, they are charged with positivism.

Aliya says:

I want to become a lawyer, fashion model or singer when I grow up. Music really helps me relax, especially when I am nervous or upset. I've been playing the piano since I was four years old, and like to compose my own tunes. Jennifer Lopez and Eminem are my current favourites.

Dubai is a very modern and safe country with a warm culture and heritage. If other countries were more like here, there would be less crimes and more peace. My main concern is that the desert is being polluted. Every time we travel outdoors, I get disheartened to see rubbish. If everybody cleans up their own mess, the world would remain beautiful.

One of the most rewarding experiences I've had is when my friend and I decided to collect money to contribute to charity. Being fond of dogs, we also thought about starting a dog walking service. That didn't work, so what we did instead was breed puppies and donate our earnings to K9.

People often ask us how it feels to have a famous mother, but she's just mom to us. I have learned from her that working really hard gets you somewhere. She's excellent at what she does, gets a good salary, and is recognised. After a hard day's work, she makes certain to spend time and be there for us, too.

Ayesha says:

My dad is a clever man and has a great sense of humour. He tells us that to be happy in life, you must learn to take a joke and not be overly sensitive. I have realised that your parents are there to lead you on the right path, even if you may not agree with them all the time. Always trust your family first.

One of my hobbies is collecting fossils and rocks from the natural wadis in the UAE. It is fun digging things out from the past, although I must say, it is backbreaking hard work. Being an archaeologist is a good career. At the end of the day, at least you have something to look at and feel you have achieved or learned something.

My dream is to become a famous horse rider or singer. I've been riding horses since the age of six, but stopped for a year because my sister scared me about falling off. I plucked up my courage and decided to start riding again, because I love horses too much. Their beautiful eyes, soft heart, and warm breath makes me happy.

At a horse riding camp in England, I won second place for dressage, which is training the horse for obedience. I also got third place for show jumping, but feel it's too much for me to handle yet.

My ability is somewhere between cantering and power trotting, but I train regularly at the Dubai Equestrian Centre. Apart from sharing the love of horses, I truly admire General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, for his work in developing Dubai.