Dubai: Little Mira could not believe her eyes when “Baba Mohammad” walked into her classroom during the first class of her school day. Mira Ali Murad is a nine-year-old third grade student at the evening school shift of Al Ahliya Charity School in Garhoud, Dubai.
“When he came in he asked me who he was and I said ‘Shaikh Mohammad’. He said ‘bravo’ and shook my hand and left,” she said.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, surprised Mira when he granted her wish by visiting her in her school on Sunday. Mira had asked Shaikh Mohammad, in a video message, when he would visit her school.
The video was broadcast during the Government Summit last week in Dubai, where Shaikh Mohammad promised to visit her on the first school day of the week following the summit. He instructed the Minister of Education, Humaid Mohammad Al Qutami – during the session – to find out which school the girl attended.
Mira was so happy and in awe by the visit that she forgot to give Shaikh Mohammad the gift she had brought to school for him, “I forgot to give him his gift.”
She told Gulf News yesterday that the visit was short but that she was very happy he made her wish come true and she feels more motivated to become a better student.
Mira said that she was approached by a team from Shaikh Mohammad’s office when she was in the airport, and asked if she wanted to ask Shaikh Mohammad a question. “So I asked him when he would come to my school.”
Dr Kamal Mohammad Farhat, general manager of the school, told Gulf News that all the children and staff were very pleased by the visit and that “it was a very touching scene when Shaikh Mohammad met Mira, and he said that she was a smart girl”.
He added that Shaikh Mohammad said that he would like to revisit the school and other schools, when he has the time.
“I think that this visit to our charity school is a show of support to the school’s goals, as the school was established by Juma Al Majid, especially targeting those who are less fortunate.”
Ebrahim Abu Zayed, principal of the primary section of the school, said that Shaikh Mohammad visited two classes, one of which was Mira’s.
“It is a motivation for us to give more to the shool and the children. Shaikh Mohammad did something no one did before, which is making a child’s wish come true by visiting her at her school although he did not know her personally,” he said.
“He made her wish of seeing him and our wish — come true,” Ebrahim said.
Manal Ali, Mira’s friend, said that she was also very happy about the visit.
Zainab Abdul Hameed, Mira’s physical education teacher, said that the visit was a nicek surprise, “and it left a big positive impact that we will not forget as long as we live.”
She said that she feels that the children’s spirits were lifted and that what he did was very humble and down to earth.
