Month: August 2008
Small change can make big difference
Mariam Al Roumi, UAE Minister of Social Affairs, and Nasser Al Sha’ali, CEO of the DIFC Authority, during the launch of the “Dirham Wa Bas” campaign.
Small change can make big difference
Staff Report GULF NEWS Published: August 20, 2008, 23:44
Dubai: One dirham only can go a long way towards helping others in a new campaign launched by the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Social Responsibility Fund.
The “Dirham Wa Bas” (One dirham only) campaign aims to raise funds for social care and development projects in the UAE. It is being supported by the Dubai International Financial Centre.
Mariam Al Roumi, Minister of Social Affairs, said: “The Dirham Wa Bas campaign aims to support sections of society that need our help, such as people with limited income, disabilities and the elderly. Everyone can contribute to this campaign. All financial contributions, starting from as little as one dirham, are needed and appreciated. The campaign is part of the Social Responsibility Fund’s objective of bridging the gap between the public and private sector and uniting them to address and solve social and community issues.”
The public will be encouraged to donate as little as one dirham, which can be deposited at donation boxes across the UAE. These locations include Emarat petrol stations, major shopping malls and retail stores.
“The Dirham Wa Bas campaign will tap the power of public participation to contribute towards social causes in the UAE. Small contributions can add up to make a huge difference. We seek the support of all members of the public across the UAE to make the Dirham Wa Bas campaign a success,” Al Roumi said.
The DIFC will be supporting the campaign by offering marketing expertise and developing publicity campaigns, which will target the retail industry and the public.
Nasser Al Sha’ali, CEO of the DIFC Authority, said: “The Dirham Wa Bas campaign is a wonderful example of how different sectors of society, including the Government and the private sector, can work together to involve the individual in contributing towards social issues in the UAE. DIFC’s support for the campaign is based on our strong belief that corporate organisations have an important role to play in the development and welfare of the community. We are committed to contributing to the well-being of the society we are part of.”
The Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality and Telecoms provider Du will also be offering support.
How to participate
* Donation boxes will be placed in shopping malls, Emarat petrol stations and retail stores.
* The public are being invited to donate as little as Dh1.
* The elderly, disabled and those on limited incomes are set to benefit from the donations, via the Social Responsibility Fund.
* The campaign was launched yesterday and will run until December.
തിരിച്ചുവരവ് ശീലമാക്കിയ ഒരു പറ്റം കളിക്കാര്
അങ്ങനെ ഇന്ത്യ ശ്രീലന്കക്കെതിരായ രണ്ടാം ഏകദിനം ജയിച്ചു . ഒരു സംശയം മാത്രം മുന്നില് നില്ക്കുന്നു, ഇവര് ഇതു ഇപ്പോള് ഒരു ശീലമാക്കിയോ എന്നുള്ള ചോദ്യം ? ആദ്യം തോല്ക്കുക, പിന്നെ ജയിക്കാന് വേണ്ടി നെട്ടോട്ടം ഓടുക! കാത്തിരുന്നു കാണാം – ഇനിയും മൂന്നു കളികള് കൂടിയുണ്ടല്ലോ?
ഇരട്ടി മധുരം
ഉയരങ്ങളില് ഏകയായി – യെലേന ഇസ്സിന്ബയെവ
I love to be alone at the top – Yelena Isinbayeva
I love to be alone at the top – Yelena Isinbayeva
If and when it rains at Abu Dhabi
If and when it rains at Abu Dhabi
Life lessons from Michael Phelps
Life lessons from Michael Phelps
August 18, 2008 , Rediff News
At 23, Michael Fred Phelps has become an international sporting sensation.
The young American swimmer has smashed seven world records and won eight gold medals at the Beijing [Images] Olympics [Images], the first athlete ever to secure first place so many times at a single Olympics Games.
Given his success, it’s easy to slot Phelps into the ‘born achievers’ category — at 23, he’s established a glorious career doing what he loves best, he’s a millionaire, a world record-holder and the pride of his nation.
But hold on a minute — is Michael Phelps [Images] really a born achiever?
He may beg to differ.
At the age of seven Phelps, the youngest of three children, was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. For those not familiar with the condition, ADHD is a childhood condition characterised by constant activity, impulsive behaviour and the inability to focus one’s attention on anything for a short span of time.
ADHD is treated with therapy and medication, but is not classified as curable — as per information on the website WebMd.com, about 60 percent of afflicted kids carry the condition into adulthood.
To help release his pent-up energy and to emulate his older sisters who were also accomplished swimmers, Phelps took up swimming, starting to outshine his peers right from the start.
At the age of nine, Michael’s parents divorced. His mother brought up all three children single-handedly, encouraging them to follow their dreams at all costs — one middle-school teacher even told Michael’s mother he would never be a success.
But successful Phelps is, and how.
Yes, there are the occasional set-backs. Like the time back in 2004 when Phelps, then 19, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was under the legal drinking age limit of 21 in any case and to top it he was driving in an inebriated state. A repentant Phelps pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation, saying in court, “I recognise the seriousness of this mistake. I’ve learned from this mistake and will continue learning from this mistake for the rest of my life.”
So who is Michael Phelps? He was a regular kid who struggled with an irregular condition and the divorce of his parents. He’s young, he excels at what he does and like the rest of us, slips up once in a while.
And what life lessons do his struggles and successes hold for us?
Deal with your own issues effectively — Michael certainly dealt with ADHD and his parents’ divorce that way. His mother helped him cope up with his condition and channeled his energy into what he loved.
Cut out the drama — Michael’s story is inspirational but at the same time, neither the young man nor his family have exploited their experiences to sensationalise his life. They’ve told it like it is.
Zero in on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses — He was less than an average student at school, but Michael was a passionate and dedicated student of his sport. The young swimmer is known to have studied tapes of his races over and over, zeroing in on mistakes and working towards bettering himself constantly. Excellent is still not good enough.
Remain focused on your goals — At the Athens Olympics back in 2004, Phelps was beaten by teammate Ian Crocker beat in the 100m butterfly. He put up a poster of Crocker in his room to motivate him and keeps a list of his career goals beside his bed.
Pursue what you love with passion and put in a genuine effort — Phelps’ dedication to swimming was apparent back when he was nine and began to break national records in his age group. His commitment to what he does has grown with him.
It’s not just his career and his unbelievable performance at the Olympics that classify Phelps as a winner — it’s his story of inspiration that makes him a real champion, a youth icon, somebody to look up to.
അങ്ങനെ ആ കാത്തിരുപ്പും വെറുതെയായി
അങ്ങനെ ആ കാത്തിരുപ്പും വെറുതെയായി
കുറെ നാളുകളായി കാതോര്ത്തിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു – എന്നാണ് ആ സന്തോഷ വാര്ര്ത്ത കേള്ക്കുക? ഇന്ത്യക്ക് ഒരു കായിക ഇനത്തില് സ്വര്ണം കിട്ടുക എന്ന ഒരു സ്വപ്നം. പന്കെടുക്കുന്നവരും പന്കെടുക്കാത്തവരും അവസാന സ്ഥാനങ്ങള്ക്കായി മത്സരിച്ചു കാണ്ടാപ്പോളും ഒരു ആശ്വാസം ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അഞ്ചു ബോബ്ബി ജോര്ജ് – പേരു പോലെ തന്നെ അവസാനത്തെ അഞ്ചു സ്ഥാനങ്ങളില് ഒന്നെന്കിലും നേടിയിട്ടെ തിരുച്ചു വരൂ എന്ന് പിന്നെയും പിന്നെയും ഉറച്ചു പറഞ്ഞു. ഇന്നിതാ ആ സ്വപ്നവും പൊളിഞ്ഞു…. യോഗ്യത പോലും നേടാതെ – വാചക കസ്സര്തുമായി – ഒളിമ്പിക് വിശേഷങ്ങള് പന്കുവക്കാന് നമ്മുക്ക് ഒരാള് കൂടി…. കാത്തിരിക്കാം, കുറ്റം പറയാം , നീണ്ട നാല് കൊല്ലം കൂടി.
രമേഷ് മേനോന്
Water taxis to relieve Dubai jams
Water taxis to relieve Dubai jams
Greg Aris THE NATIONAL Last Updated: August 03. 2008 10:37
A new fleet of water taxis will ferry commuters and tourists around Dubai from the middle of next year – bringing some much-needed relief to motorists stuck in traffic jams across the city.As part of the Roads and Traffic Authority’s plans to break the gridlock on the city’s roads, 20 water taxi stations and 10 new water taxis are scheduled to be up and running by the middle of next year.
Dubai Marina will have four stations with other drop-off points at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort, Habtoor Grand, Royal Meridian and Jumeirah Hilton Hotels. Improvement work to some existing stations, such as Bur Dubai and Old Deira Souk Station, will also be carried out.The modern, air-conditioned boats will be more expensive rivals to the city’s traditional abras.“Twenty locations have been approved for establishing water taxi stations during the initial phase of the project, which will contribute to alleviating traffic congestion in Dubai,” said Khaled Mohammed al Zahed, the acting chief executive of RTA’s marine agency.
“The project will be specifically important following the completion of giant maritime projects such as the Palm Deira, Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and The World.”The taxis, which can be booked only by phone, will carry up to 11 passengers and will be available for hire for tourists trips along the creek, Mr Zahed said.“In the initial stage, 10 boats, costing Dh30 million (US$8.1m), will operate as water taxis,” he said. “The project also covers Al Khor lines, the Coastal Line running along Jumeirah coast to serve tourists in the emirate, and the line linking downtown Dubai with the Palms projects and The World.”
The number of passengers crossing the creek by water has increased by 10 per cent since last year. The RTA’s marine agency is promoting water taxis – along with Dubai Creek’s abras and water buses – as a cheap, efficient mode of transport to cut traffic. Abras carried more than 7.5 million passengers in the first three months of this year, a 10 per cent rise from the corresponding period the year before. The boats, which cost Dh1 per trip, shuttle passengers between Deira Old Souq Station and Bur Dubai Station, and Dubai Old Souk Station and Al Sabkha Station.
Motorists to get meals on road during Ramadan
Motorists to get meals on road during Ramadan
Haneen Last Updated: August 18. 2008 THE NATIONAL
Red Crescent will distribute fast-food meals on roads leading from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain, Dubai and Al Sela before sunset during Ramadan.The initiative is part of the charity’s food distribution project Hefth al Neama (saving food). The project manager, Sultan al Shehhi, said about 1,500 meals would be distributed from bases on the side of roads near petrol stations.
“We’ve co-ordinated with a number of foodstuff companies and hotels,” he said. “Mainly the meals will be light, for motorists to break their fast while travelling long distances.”Hefth al Neama has been operating since 2004 under the patronage of Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan, the assistant to the chief of the Women’s Affairs Authority, and aims to limit the amount of food wasted at big celebrations and events.
“There are a lot of weddings in the UAE where food is served in big amounts,” said Mr Shehhi. “Therefore, the food that is left untouched and in good condition is packed and distributed to needy families, orphans and labour camps. We aim to spread awareness among society that food is a blessing and should not be put to waste.”The secretary general of Red Crescent, Dr Saleh al Taei, said 88,870 meals donated by restaurants, hotels and benefactors had been given to the needy in the past year. Beneficiaries included 1,600 labourers and 700 families.
“We also co-ordinate with school catering companies to give away sandwiches that are left over. Sometimes, there are up to 1,500 sandwiches left, so at noon we give them out to workers; each get two sandwiches and juice.”Mr Shehhi said the food was given out on a day-to-day basis before its expiry date.“We are also co-ordinating with Abu Dhabi Inspection Control to inform us about foodstuff left over in food companies two months before its expiry date, so we can distribute it to those in need before the companies destroy it,” he said.”
He added that Red Crescent hoped to extend the project across the UAE.
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