Dubai: Young women from the Dawoodi Bohra community in Dubai gathered on Friday to showcase their talents by presenting everyday solutions that can contribute to the betterment of society.
The community learning event, which sought to look at ways the world can be shaped in a better way, came as part of an annual initiative organised by the Dawoodi Bohra community across several countries called the Kunuz Premier League, under the theme ‘Save the World’.
Covering nine categories in their presentations, including art therapy, medicine, social science, and technology, the young women dressed in the traditional rida, their religious attire, welcomed young and old members of their community at the Burhani Complex in Al Ghusais, and shared tips and advice based on their education and experience.
Using presentations, videos, talks and charts, the university and school students between the ages of 15 and 25 said they wanted to push for change through their knowledge.
Mariam Master, a medical student at Gulf Medical University, along with her group, set up a stand to share important health facts with visitors.
“We are here to tell everyone how they should opt for alcohol-free medicines, which home-made remedies they can use to help relieve pain, raise awareness about detoxification, and also to show women how they can find out if their lipsticks contain lead, a toxin-causing cancer,” she said.
One group had set up a stand tackling depression and stress and how it can be countered with art therapy, while another was keen on sharing advice with mothers on how to deal with growing problems in children such as obesity.
“We have organised this community event for the happiness of our community leader Dr Syedna Aliqadr Mufaddal Saifuddin, as he always guides us towards humanitariansim,” said Umm Ulkiram, president of the women’s organisation at the community.
Zuhair Campwala, who is among the religious professionals of the community, said the Muslim community, which includes more than 14,000 members, has been in Dubai for more than 45 years.
“Our main focus is to contribute to the community, but also to the place that we are living in, which we consider our home. This is a contribution we have made to society … We want literacy to be high, we would like some awareness to be spread to the community. It is important for the initiative to be progressive in every way. We meet here for religious purposes but also for human growth as it is a key aspect for us.”
The event was open to the public between 2pm and 9.30pm and also saw women selling food items of the famous Bohra cuisine, which organisers said was another way to push for the idea of how mothers can generate their own source of income.
