DUBAI// Benazeer Khanam faced an agonising decision last year. She could stay in the UAE and struggle to provide for her son, Noamaan, who has severe autism. Or she could return to India to find affordable care - saying goodbye to her home and leaving behind her husband, an engineer in Sharjah. She prayed every day for a solution.
Her deliverance came via a scholarship from START, a non-profit organisation that works with underprivileged children.
The scholarship - awarded last year and renewed this month - pays for Noamaan's educational, occupational and speech therapy sessions at the Dubai Autism Centre. The aid allowed his parents to increase his sessions from three to nine hours a week. It also ended thoughts of splitting the family.
"I don't have words to explain that feeling," said Ms Khanam, 32. "Because we were about to get separated, our family. And because of START, we are together now."
Noamaan, now 7, is one of three recipients of this year's START scholarship, which provides educational or vocational support depending on need.
For Safiea Ahmed Khalfan, 25, who grew up in an orphanage in Al Ain, the scholarship will fund 18 months of internships, mentoring and training.
"I was very, very happy and excited - and proud of myself," said Ms Khalfan, an HR management major at Emirates College of Technology. Scheduled to graduate in May, she hopes the scholarship experience will help her to find a full-time job.
"I want to get the knowledge and skills that will make me independent and successful," she said.
The third scholarship recipient is Dana Saleh, a young woman in Jordan who wants to study interior design. The scholarship will fund her college tuition, housing and living expenses.
START was founded in 2007 to provide art education to refugees, children with special needs and other vulnerable young people. The organisation offers regular art workshops in the UAE, Jordan, Lebanon, India and the Palestinian territories. This is the third year that START has also offered extended scholarships, which do not have to involve art.
"It's really to give the candidate themselves a shot to do something, change their situation, use their talent," said Tanaz Dizadji, START's director.
Ms Khalfan impressed START with her ambition and optimism.
"We interviewed quite a few candidates, but Safiea, she shines," Ms Dizadji said.
Dar Zayed for Family Care, where Ms Khalfan was brought up, is the UAE's largest orphanage. Dar Zayed children receive UAE nationality, and girls can remain with the orphanage until they marry.
"There are advantages and disadvantages, but mostly you feel that you are growing up alone," Ms Khalfan said. "But you have to be strong for yourself. I don't have anybody to stay with me. I have to be strong."
She lived in the orphanage's main branch in Al Ain until she was a teenager, then moved to Abu Dhabi, where she lives in a villa with other young women from Dar Zayed.
For 2011 scholarship winner James Casaki, the experience was a stepping stone to finding a job. Mr Casaki, now 25, loves to draw and paint but has a rare congenital condition called Kabuki syndrome. The scholarship enabled him to leave Dubai Centre for Special Needs and pursue his passion.
"It was an amazing experience for me, just to get out there and to do my art," said Mr Casaki, who was born in England and moved to the UAE when he was 17.
During his scholarship year, he interned with arts organisations around Dubai. He now works at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre. The scholarship was not easy for Mr Casaki, but it opened a new world.
"It was a lot of hard work," he said. "But I got through it."
vnereim@thenational.ae
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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