Dubai
“Be Kind. Whenever kindness becomes a part of something, it beautifies it. Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished,” Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) said those words.
In this busy world, we often forget the essence of kindness, happiness and living. With the UAE government’s agenda of becoming the happiest country in the world and celebrating the Year of Giving last year, we decided to join the mission.
“Kindness means making people happy” and “Kindness = Happiness” is what was written by students of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, when we started ‘Kindness Day’ on December 21, 2017. It was a day dedicated to complete 100 Random Acts of Kindness, to remind and encourage the youth to be connected and empathetic to the world around them.
We are a team of university students from all fields of education, striving to change the world with kindness. We formed the Volunteer Services Club.
The acts were simple and were meant to do good, such as to pick up trash, write a positive note for a stranger, compliment your best friend’s mum, keep a judgment free hour, share a happy memory and many more.
The best moment was the happiness eminent from people’s faces with the unexpected gestures of kindness.
We received messages that said: “What is given is got back in another form. Someone else gave me space to go ahead in a queue today.”
In a day, it was a ripple effect of people inspiring others.
Riola Tauro, a student based in Dubai, was amongst those who participated in this initiative.
She said: “Being a volunteer for this event, it was wonderful seeing our college mates actively taking part. The event was a success! At the end of the day, a friend called me excitedly and said, “Oh my goodness, you know what? I found this sticky note on my car, saying ‘You are amazing!’. It brought a smile to my face. Seeing someone happy, makes you smile, too.”
Subeeksha Raja, another student based in Dubai, had similar thoughts about the initiative.
She said: “I really liked the entire concept of Kindness Day as with our busy lives we often forget to indulge in activities to spread happiness.”
With these acts of kindness, we remind ourselves to do them without any expectations of a return, purely to share the goodness.
My father, Shakeel Ahmed, once told me: “Kindness is nobility. If actions are not with noble intent, then we are sowing seeds of selfishness.”
Another quote that has stayed with me over time is one by Bob Kerry, an American politician: “Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly and most underrated agent in human change.”
With our first Kindness Day, we were grateful to have achieved such success, thanks to our families, students and the faculty who participated. But, this wasn’t the end. It gave us hope for a kinder future and we aim to keep inspiring kindness through 2018, too, which is the Year of Zayed.
With this we would like to motivate all the readers and youth, to remember to be kind in the small gestures towards the world around. To be happy, do an act of kindness!
— The reader is a student based in Dubai.
Be a community reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Send us your videos and pictures at readers@gulfnews.com
