Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s famous UN address, in which he asked the people of the world to set aside 67 minutes to do some community work, a new book recently hit the shelves which highlights the incredible real-life stories of 67 extraordinary UAE individuals. Mark Spence takes a closer look at these local heroes and how they can encourage us all to do that little bit extra for our community.
The incarceration, pain and struggle of Nelson Mandela has been well documented over the years but, for many, the striking message that scythes through the oppression and suffering he endured was one of kindness and compassion for our neighbours – regardless of wealth or status. Indeed, it is this message of hope for humanity that lead to the creation of a book called 67 Inspiring Stories, which documents 67 people from Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and the work they’ve done for the community.
The book launch is the initiative of the private voluntary organisation Nahtam (derived from the Arabic word which means ‘we care’ in English) Social Responsibility Group Abu Dhabi, which has been set up in the UAE to address the evolving social needs of its citizens, residents and the poorest communities around the world. ‘The community heroes featured in the book include entrepreneurs, students, and office-goers who do humanitarian service in their own little ways,’ says co-founder and CEO George Itty. ‘These men and women prove that you do not have to be rich to help someone. All you need is a big heart.’
During the month of Ramadan in particular there are few places on Earth as generous, thoughtful and rewarding as the UAE, something which is borne out by the sheer volume of entries put forward by UAE residents for inclusion in the book. George tells us they received 3,800 entries from UAE residents for the 67 stories.
The roots of Nahtam lie in the Donate A Brick campaign whereby George and his colleagues Isabelle Le Bon and Ebrahim Al Haddar were trying to raise funds for the expansion of the Special Care Centre school for children in Abu Dhabi amid growing concerns that there were an increasing number of children waiting for admission to the special needs school. ‘When we were doing Donate A Brick, we met many organisations who need support,’ says George. ‘There are many organisations in the UAE who don’t have much money. Some 80 percent of special needs children are not paying the fees, so you can imagine the state of the schools. The teachers don’t want to throw them out. What we do is help and support these people, so we thought we need an organisation to help; that’s how we made Natham.’
Acting as a subtle reminder that a community without compassion or kindness is one built on unstable foundations, the idea of 67 Inspiring Stories is one that should be embraced by the capital as a whole. George tells us more about the original concept.
‘The idea came to us in 2011; Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday on July 18 when he was requesting, through the United Nations, that he wanted people to do 67 minutes of community work [as he’d done 67 years himself]. Not all countries participated, but we took that initiative of 67 minutes to contribute and give back. What we did was request people in the UAE to do 67 minutes community work. We requested people tell us what initiatives they were doing and what they hoped to achieve. They sent in their stories and we compiled 67 stories for the book.’
The aim of the book is also to show people that by dedicating a little time and effort we can all make a significant difference to the lives of others. ‘The objective of the book and the selection of the stories we were trying to show [was] that to do community work you don’t need to go to university, you just need a little time to share with your fellow human beings,’ he adds. ‘We’re hoping it will motivate people into doing community work.’
67 Inspiring Stories cannot exist on its own without help from those who believe in it, especially if they are to have any hope of expanding the concept, George tells us. ‘We’re now converting the book into Arabic as there’s a big demand. At the same time we’re after sponsors to make that happen. Secondly, we want everyone to read it, so we’re launching a digital book so people can download it. The printed book was only a limited edition, [so] we are looking for sponsorship for more copies. We want it to be available in schools and for everyone.’ So, while George and his colleagues are working hard, do yourself and, more pertinently, your community a favour by spreading the word. Or better yet have a look around and see where you can help out.
Head to www.nahtam.com to download a PDF of the book later this month.
