There was once a little refugee girl. She was part of a group of orphan children who would beg on the streets, do errands and then share their day’s earnings with each other to survive.
One day, this girl stopped me and asked me this odd question: “Do you have a stapler?”
I said “yes”, and I went upstairs to my apartment and got her my stapler, along with some food and water.
I watched as she bent down, stapled her worn out trainers together and then went around doing the same for the rest of the children in her group. It was only then that I noticed the poor condition of their shoes.
They hopped about, checking their stapled shoes. They were excited to have been able to extend the longevity of their footwear.
You would be mistaken to think that their difficult lives had robbed them of their happiness. In fact they seemed to be as happy as bunnies at their achievement.
Friends and I came together to get them new shoes, but it was a while before we saw them wearing them. They kept wearing the old ones for as long as the staples held them together.
I would hear them say: “Yalla. Tomorrow will be better.” And off they went, carrying only their hope and courage into yet another difficult day.
There are Arabic proverbs such as “he who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything”, “how tight can life be without the space of hope,” and “only death can end our hope”.
These orphans were embodiments of these proverbs. There are many proverbs in many other languages and these are the sayings that one often banks on when the going gets tough.
And as far as we can go back, there have always been times when things have been tough for a country, for a group of people as well as for individuals. For the past few decades, the Middle East has gone through many difficulties. For many in the region, hope has been the only thing that has kept them going.
That is why the Arab Hope Makers initiative, launched this week by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, is so important. The initiative seeks to honour humanitarian and community projects that help others in the Arab world. “Every person has goodness within,” he said. “Everyone can give something back to their community. We all live on hopes that drive us to make positive changes in our communities.
“Those who make hope and those who spread goodness are not fond of fame. Such is their nature. But new generations need role models to achieve positive change,” he said.
And it is so true that those who give the most and inspire hope are often the last ones to seek recognition. We never see them take selfies with refugees or those they are helping, which unfortunately has become a common thing. Social media is filled with such images. It is funny how people who make the maximum sacrifice are the least likely to post anything about their work and achievements.
There have been many inspiring stories: a doctor volunteering to treat the wounded and sick; a teacher using her lunch break to teach a little boy on the street how to read and write; an elderly couple who cook a special meal daily and open their homes to any one hungry; and, of course, these orphans who clean cars, shine shoes and carry out errands daily for a few bucks and yet find the energy to help one another.
No matter how tough it got, no matter how gloomy and hopeless the future looked, I would hear all these inspirational people say: “It is OK, tomorrow will be better.”
Quiet heroes in the background, lighting a light in the darkness, who do so much and don’t wait for a thank you, I will be nominating all of them.
It is their turn to be acknowledged, thanks to the Arab Hope Makers initiative.
As one of them said, and I remember whenever things get tough for me: “It is always easier to just stop, to just give up. To keep having hope is courage in itself, so be brave and be a hero to yourself and others.”
rghazal@thenational.ae
Twitter:@arabianmau
