A podcast has been launched by a Dubai special needs advocate to empower people with disabilities so they can speak directly about their challenges.
PODcast by Gulshan, in which POD stands for People of Determination, was created to empower people with special needs to use their voice to raise awareness.
The platform features artists opening up about bullying on the school playground, addresses unsettling truths about nearly losing the will to live and imparts a powerful message of resilience.
When they hear our stories, they will get to see and understand a different side to life
Sharan Budhrani,
a Dubai resident with muscular dystrophy
Hosted every two weeks by Gulshan Kavarana, an art teacher who runs the Special Families Support Group, the episodes open up a window into the lives of people with disabilities from autism to muscular dystrophy, a condition that causes progressive weakness.
Abdulla Lutfi, an Emirati artist with autism well-known for his distinctive black and white work, said he hoped people would better understand after listening in.
“I want to say to people of the world please accept the special needs people for the way they are born and don’t treat them badly,” he told The National.
“Just treat them with love and respect and help them live their life better.
“Give them love, hope and kindness.”
Ms Kavarana hoped the stories would reach beyond the special needs community to a general audience.
“Come into their world – I want the audience to get to know people with disabilities and their families,” she said.
“Listeners should hear from people who are in this situation 24/7 – they are sharing their life story, this is the expert view.
“We have so much to learn from them that can make the world a better place.”
Bullying
In an episode aired recently, Mr Lutfi opens up to Ms Kavarana about how bullying forced him to change schools as a child.
“The kids didn’t stop making fun of me. That hurt my feelings,” the 31-year-old said about his first years in school.
“All autistic and special needs people are born different.
“I go to schools now, give workshops so they know that you should not bully special needs children, just accept them.”
The Emirati artist displays his work at his studio Next Chapter at Tashkeel, Al Fahidi with high demand for his quirky take on life in the UAE and bold renders of the Dubai skyline.
After completing high school, he was among a group of young adults with special needs who learnt art at Dubai’s Mawaheb studio.
It was there that Ms Kavarana guided him away from copying anime characters to forging his own style. His art depicting women in abayas with long eyelashes and men in white headscarves with pointed beards is on display in Dubai International Airport, hotels and banks.
Mr Lutfi tells how he first drew objects as a child to communicate with his parents and continues to visualise characters.
“I draw characters from my head that I was imagining,” he said.
“I draw with bubble words for my characters to speak.
“I’m famous now, I have a brand of black and white art.”
Surviving
Sharan Budhrani too reveals the hurt he felt as a child when people made fun of how he walked.
He was nine when he found out about his condition and 17 when the debilitating degeneration caused by muscular dystrophy made him use the wheelchair frequently.
“I walked differently and people called me names,” the 33-year-old said.
“Not all of us can be the same.
“We have to accept everyone the way they are.”
The Indian artist was among the first select group of artists to receive the UAE’s 10-year residency visa for their cultural contribution to the country.
There were months he struggled in hospital requiring a tracheostomy or feeding tube and a ventilator to breathe.
The weakness affects muscles linked to breathing and swallowing and puts the person at risk of contracting pneumonia.
In one podcast episode, Mr Budhrani speaks of fighting to find the will to survive when his condition worsened a few years ago.
Ms Kavarana’s close rapport helps her ask unsettling questions such as whether he wanted to give up.
“I had lost interest in life,” he said.
“I found myself in a very dark place. You just want to close your eyes and want it all to end. But then I saw my grandparents, saw the tears in my grandfather’s eyes. You just have to be grateful for everything.
“There are failures and setbacks but who does not have that.”
He hopes the podcast will leave an impact on people who don’t have relatives or friends with disabilities.
“In spite of being able and not having any physical or mental challenges, some people are not grateful,” he said.
“When they hear our stories, they will get to see and understand a different side to life.
“It can bring about a change in perception and inspire, motivate them to do better, be more grateful.”
Support lifeline
The podcast will, in the coming weeks, also talk to families who are the support lifeline for people with special needs.
“Siblings never get asked how do they feel,” Ms Kavarana said.
“Are they feeling stressed about how this will be their responsibility when their parents are no more.
“Nobody talks to the mom and asks, ‘How are you doing?’”
The 60-year-old art teacher has first-hand experience as she has cared for her daughter who suffered from violent seizures from the age of four months as part of a rare condition called Dravet syndrome.
She hopes the series that can be accessed on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram will address questions people have about interacting with people with special needs.
“There is a constant refrain people have that they don’t know what to say or how to behave around people with a disability,” she said.
“I’m giving you an opportunity to find out.
“Go up and have a conversation. They have so many interesting things to share, you can really learn a lot.”
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The five pillars of Islam
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Honeymoonish
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
More on Quran memorisation:
Match info
Manchester United 4
(Pogba 5', 33', Rashford 45', Lukaku 72')
Bournemouth 1
(Ake 45 2')
Red card: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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