Dubai: An Indian child, stranded in Nairobi, has sought help to be reunited with his family in Dubai ahead of his 10th birthday on Thursday.
Grade five student Moiz Hussain flew to the Kenyan capital on March 13 with schoolmate Abedalii Murtaza and his mother for the spring break.
He was due to return on April 2 but got stuck due to COVID-19 flight suspensions.
Now terribly homesick, Moiz has made an emotional appeal to return home. “It’s been more than two months that I have been stranded in Kenya,” he said in a video shared with Gulf News. ”I am really homesick and am desperate to go back to Dubai to reunite with my parents. I am celebrating my 10th birthday on May 28 and I want to celebrate it with my parents. Is there anyone who could help me reach my home in Dubai safely?” said Moiz, the eldest of three siblings.
His mother Khadija, who is seven-months pregnant, said she’s worried sick.
“My son is exhibiting symptoms of depression. He cries for most of the day. His friend’s family is taking good care of him but he longs to be with us,” she said as she shared despairing WhatsApp messages sent by Moiz from Nairobi. “Mom i will never go awaaay fromm u again!!!. Pleasee remove me from here,” read one such message.
“In his last message he asked me if we were punishing him by keeping him away from ourselves, Of course, he knows this is not true but after all he’s a child. And he has these outbursts every few days,” she said.
Khadija said Moiz was very excited when he left for Kenya.
“He and Murtaza are best friends so when Moiz said he wanted to spend the spring break in Murtaza’s home country we readily agreed,” she recalled.
She said Moiz’s younger brothers - six-year-old twins Mohammmad and Burhannuddin miss him terribly. “They keep asking when will Moiz Bhai be back, my husband is also worried and spends sleepless nights thinking about him, This is the first time our son won’t be here for Eid,” she added.
Khadija said after several failed attempts they finally succeeded on Thursday to get an approval for Moiz to return home.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and the Federal Authority For Identity (MoFAIC) approved his application last night. I hope he gets to fly back soon. I am dying to see him,” she said.
