Hope Springs: The Acts of Kindness That Did Not Go Unnoticed
Not all news is bad news. If there were ever a time to make the world a little brighter during the darkness, it’s now. Here are the real-life acts and stories of kindness and humanity that have made a difference to women who give as much as they receive
There is a damaging trope in the world of journalism: if it bleeds, it leads. But in an uncertain world, the hope of purposeful kindness is a lifeline. Good news is an essential escape valve for when bad news comes in its droves – especially in a pandemic, no less. In her book, The Science of Helping Out by Tara Parker-Pope she says: “During a crisis, the people who cope best are those who help others”. At a time when we are all experiencing an extraordinary level of stress, acts of kindness offers a simple and effective way to bolster our emotional health. To help yourself, start by helping others…
Aida Al Busaidy
Director, C2C Campaigns, Marketing Management, Dubai Tourism
In January of this year, I felt extremely exhausted and so went to bed early. I wasn’t able to sleep well. Throughout the night I felt a lot of pain in my stomach. In the morning I went to the bathroom and fainted. My son took charge and called 999. I could hear him explaining to the emergency team where we live, how to get here and what was wrong with me. My nanny was in a frenzy and panicked but my eight-year-old amassed the strength of 10 men, showed compassion and took matters to ensure my safety. In the background, my husband got in touch with both his sisters and mine to make sure they got home in his absence whilst the ambulance arrived. The team and the paramedic lady who arrived were kind, helpful and helped me dress and get downstairs. In the emergency room, I took multiple tests and it turned out I had severe appendicitis which needed to be operated on immediately before my appendix burst. A day after surgery, the paramedic Maha called to check on me. From my son, sisters, friends and the paramedic team, no one backed out of helping and making sure that my health and well being were prioritised. Each of them restored an already existing zest for humanity but it renewed every cell in my being on how much love people have to give and how one can reciprocate.
Alaa Balkhy
Creative Strategist
I was on a plane from Jeddah to New York and decided to go on Twitter to kill some time. Suddenly there was some breaking news about an explosion happening in Times Square in Manhattan – that’s where my husband works, and it happened to be during his working hours. All of a sudden, thousands of miles up in the sky, I had a breakdown because I couldn’t reach him on WhatsApp and I couldn’t call him because there was no cell service. Here I am sobbing, holding my phone like it’s the end of the world, not knowing what’s going on. I asked my friends and family in all my WhatsApp groups to call him and make sure he was okay. I just needed someone to reach him. I honestly won’t forget how for those ten minutes everyone was there for me, updating and comforting me. It turned out he was fine and was simply in a meeting. He got back to his office and found 150 missed calls from different KSA numbers. He actually thought something had happened to me because in what world would he get this many calls from anonymous Saudi numbers? The moral of the story is; for a few minutes where I felt totally helpless and lost, I knew that not just one but so many people came to my rescue and had my back. For that, I’m forever grateful.
Ashley Al Busmait
Founder and Art Director, The Mirage Edit
One late weekday night, I watched the Netflix documentary series, The Surgeon’s Cut. I had no idea just how profoundly the story I was about to watch would move me. The documentary featured the inspiring tale of Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, a Mexican man who defied all the odds stacked against him and embarked on a dangerous journey to cross the infamous border between Mexico and the United States in the hope of a brighter and better future. Growing up in poverty, living in a small room with three other family members with nothing to eat at times, he looked up to his mother who instilled a sense of imagination in him and encouraged him to dream for more. Despite being caught during his first attempt to enter the U.S. as a young boy, he was determined to try again and finally made it onto American soil. He held a job as a farm worker and often found himself with raw hands after a strenuous day’s work in the fields. One day he made a conscious decision to further alter the course of his life and through sheer willpower, went from working in the fields to night classes at a community college, to Harvard Medical School, earning the title of Chairman of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic, one of the most highly reputable hospitals in the world. Along with his admirable journey to becoming a distinguished surgeon, I was incredibly moved by his humility, and his empathetic, kind interactions with his patients.This story touched me deeply as I found similarities between Dr. Hinojosa and my late Mexican grandfather, Jose Guadalupe Hernandez. They both summoned the courage to set out to create a better life for themselves and their families, and succeeded in doing so through hard work, perseverance, humility, an innate kindness towards others, and the belief that one can beat the odds and lead a fulfilling life.
Dani Wilson Naqvi
Luxury Travel Curator, Unique Family Travel
Meeting Bilquis Edhi, known as The Mother of Pakistan, a professional nurse and one of the most active philanthropists as the co-founder of Edhi Foundation, will forever have a special place in my heart. She lived in the poorest area of Karachi in a run-down building which she called home. Her front door was always open to the sick, the vulnerable, and the abandoned babies. Sitting in her home, seeing a small bed in the corner of the room, a kitchen in the other and a tiny washroom showed me that this woman was the epitome of selflessness, put on this earth to look after the sick. She couldn’t speak English so we communicated with affection, holding each other’s hand. She showed me some of her handwritten books – books that had made dreams of families around the world come true via adoption. I was moved to tears. I was in the presence of a true angel on earth
Anna Roberts
Co-Founder, Achievher
There are two strong examples of humanity that come to mind, and both are from the past year. The first is locally with the initiative created by ‘Stop and Help’ whereby families and individuals in need of basic food and hygiene items could request assistance. You’d be matched up with a family or individual to provide support by purchasing a simple grocery list of items through online shopping to be delivered directly. COVID-19 has made it particularly difficult to offer yourself as a volunteer in person but by using technology we were able to support people in need of meaningful and dignified assistance. The second example is by a football player in the UK, Marcus Rashford, who started a campaign to help combat hunger in underprivileged school children across lockdown and holiday periods. He empowered restaurants and food companies to join in his campaign of providing school meals to children that would otherwise be left falling through the cracks. These examples have stayed with me because of their clear intention; when you see someone in need, you can stop and help, and make a difference. A simple meal or bag of groceries can be life changing.
Zahra Abdulla
Cookbook Author
We were in the middle of lockdown, the restrictions were slowly easing up, when I saw a message from one of my group chats about a heavily pregnant lady that had lost her job and was homeless.Together, my friends and I co-ordinated to find a way to support her. One friend housed her in her vacant rental unit, another friend offered free medical support, another supplied both clothing and basic supplies and another stocked the apartment with groceries. When the mother went into labour early, she had an emergency delivery and her baby had to stay in ICU. Overwhelmed with the stress of a growing medical bill, we lobbied the hospital to offer a discount on the hospital fees and we reached out to the community to collectively raise money and cover her bills. It was incredible to see friends and strangers feel vested in the well-being of someone they didn’t know. The miracle was that in less than a couple of hours, collectively as a community, we joined in hand-in-hand and paid the hospital bill, and the mother and baby were discharged. I remember feeling that this newborn baby was born blessed and loved by so many strangers. I felt a sense of gratitude that so many people were so selfless and ready to go above and beyond to help another person. I felt proud and touched by the sense of community that is always evident when needed.
Zeynab El-Helw
Content Creator
No matter how difficult 2020 was, it was also a year of awakening as to how privileged many of our lives are. Realising that, my friends decided to set off to Arusha, Tanzania and volunteer with some of the most impoverished children and women. Ahead of the trip, they raised close to Dhs100,000 and that kind of money went a long way in a country like Tanzania. They purchased a plot of land as the site for a new multimedia day care and after school centre (the first of its kind in this remote village), and have now begun construction of a two-storey building that will expand access to almost 100 women and children, and even had change to cover the salaries of teachers and the internet for a year. The children at the day-care centre made a sign to read: Asante Asana, meaning thank you in Swahili, to thank all those who donated. To top the trip off, they carried that sign throughout a sixday hike up Kilimanjaro, ending on a high on Africa’s highest peak.
Helen Farmer
Blogger and Radio Host, Dubai Eye
If something positive comes out the last year, let it be this: that we went through a shared experience and some of us realized just how lucky we are compared to others. In a time of job loss and financial uncertainty Stop and Help was set up to assist Dubai residents who are having a difficult time. It’s a kindness exchange where you can sign up and be matched with a family, then send them essentials like groceries, nappies, notepads for home schooling or clothes. So many of us want to make a difference but don’t know how – and this has been an amazing way to do our bit. I’ve been in touch with a family for a few months, with my daughter exchanging video messages with their little girl, and it has been really heart-warming to witness. Please do get in touch if you can contribute – instead of donating money to a charity, you can see who you’re helping in a very real way.
Haifa Beseisso
TV Host, MBC1
It’s beautiful when someone has somebody in their life that is a constant reminder of humanity and goodness. It’s a reminder that we are on this planet not to just take but to give as well. That person for me, is my best friend. Together, we like to mix travel and humanity. We travelled once to Zanzibar – she always travels with lots of extra clothes and food because she gives them away to house-keeping and to others in need in the country she visits. Basically, by the end of a trip, she leaves with an empty suitcase. So, one of our Australian friends who lives in Zanzibar and believes in learning by creativity, has opened a school called The Zanzibar Steiner School, where the orphan children learn through creative dance and music. Some of the children are from poor families, and when there is just one person who is educated, it can uplift the entire family. I’m inspired by how my best friend has helped this girl and the school. I have spoken about it to my followers who many have now gone to volunteer. I make it a thing to involve myself in helping where I can. I feel it blesses my work. I don’t want to just be influencer by words but by action too.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s March 2021 Issue.
