UAE residents set resolutions with a human touch

Dubai: With the New Year approaching, many sit and reflect on the year that has passed in order to start the New Year in a different manner with a positive mindset.

Going beyond the oft-heard resolutions made every year, Gulf News spoke to UAE residents who shared much deeper aspirations for change on a greater scale in the new year.

Ahmad Ameen, a Pakistani manager at a travel and tours company in Dubai said that there are many who are not aware of the fact that there are plenty of areas around the world where young girls cannot acquire an education. In the new year, he wishes to change that by attending events to be better informed about this global dilemma.

“I personally believe that lack of education is the core issue when looking at problems in the world,” he said. “I want to donate or raise awareness on the matter because once we educate the youth in need we can solve a lot of the problems in the world.”

Mariam Yousuf, an Egyptian university student, expressed similar thoughts and said she would like to shed light on children in need but from a different perspective. She said there was a general misconception about participating in social work by supporting orphanages.

Mariam shared information she obtained about an orphanage being built in the UAE and said she wishes to contribute to its success by raising awareness nationwide to ensure all needs of the children there are met.

“People think that since adoption is not an option there isn’t anything they can do to help the children,” she said, “but in reality when they donate money to help build this orphanage they give these kids a home to live in safely.”

On the other hand, Pakistani Zubair Haider aims to achieve a much more harmonious balance in his life. He wishes to balance out the different aspects in his life and says that though they clash at times, they can easily go hand in hand once the balance is achieved.

“In 2015 I aim to work towards creating a balanced environment, a harmonious work and personal life balance where both worlds can peacefully co-exist without colliding with one another,” he said.

Also aiming for success, Lebanese Fadel Mehanna said he wishes to excel in his professional life. Once he achieves the success he wants, he has set out the goal of giving back by donating money to organisations and campaigns that support people or children in conflict.

However, his goals do not end there. He said his desire for success was ultimately driven by the need to have the money to provide decent donations to organisations who have taken the lead in such activities for many years and maybe even start such an organisation on his own.

“We need to also lend a hand to the people in neighbouring countries,” he said. “So, in steps, I want to achieve the success, raise awareness, donate money to existing charities and then start my own foundation.”

There are also many who aim to lose weight or quit a bad habit, besides those who aim to make groundbreaking changes for themselves and others. From raising awareness to donations and even striking a balance on a more personal level, 2015 hold out the prospect of positive change for the large majority.

— Maria Botros is a trainee with Gulf News