This former Dubai expat devotes her life to orphans

Dubai - Massoud, who was born a refugee in Pakistan, said her family's sacrifices and love for her country motivate her to give back

Living in Dubai can sometimes lure you into the materialistic side of life, and it's probably tougher if you belong to a well off political family residing in the city.
Though, the case for Amina Zia Massoud, the granddaughter of a former Afghanistan president, is quite different.
Even though, Massoud, 26, has lived most of her life in Dubai, she said she never forgot the sacrifices her family has made for her country and did not get trapped in the 'glitz and glam' of Dubai.
She has returned to work for Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and spends the rest of her time providing aid items to orphans in the country.
Massoud, who was born a refugee in Pakistan, said her family's sacrifices and love for her country motivate her to give back. She spoke to Khaleej Times about the humanitarian work she is doing in Afghanistan.
She takes food, toys, clothing and toiletries to orphanages each month as a kind gesture as well as listening to the tragic stories of the orphans.
She also visits the orphanages regularly because she feels that the orphans need someone to talk to and spend time with.
Massoud thinks orphans need someone to listen to them because it helps them ease their pain. She said it's important to spend quality time with them.
"We visit orphanages and provide them with toys, food, clothes and toiletries that they need. But what I like to do more is listen to their stories. I never thought I would learn so much from their lives. In one orphanage, there are two little brothers there who had seen their father kill their own mother in front of their eyes. Her body was later dumped in a bag and the father threatened to do the same to the kids," Massoud said.

"There is an orphanage in my home province, Panjsher, the children there are incredible. They told me that they hope I could bring them computers next time so they learn how to use one.
"Whenever I go to these places I realise what they want human interaction more than anything else, they want people to listen to them."
Massoud visits Dubai often, a city which she said is a second home to her. She hopes to inspire people to give back to the community as well.
Massoud's grandfather, Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former president of Afghanistan was assassinated on September 20, 2011, in his own house by a Taliban suicide bomber pretending to be a peace envoy.
Her uncle, Ahmad Shah Massoud, was killed two days before the 9/11 attacks. He was the first victim of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan, where two Al Qaeda members pretending to be journalists hid explosives in their cameras and the blast killed him. He was the creator and leader of the Northern Alliance (United Front), a group which fought against Taliban.
'I still remember the day'
Amina Zia Massoud said she still remembers the day her grandfather Burhanuddin Rabbani, former president of Afghanistan, was killed by the Taleban.
She said: "I was in Kabul when it happened. I had just arrived home and it was getting dark when I heard a scream. I went to see my sister and I asked her what had happened. I was overtaken by a state I had never felt, my legs went weak, I fell and for sometime I wasn't able to move until someone picked me up and took me to my room.
"We rushed to his house, the entire city was on lockdown and we had to explain to every policeman on the roads that we were his grandchildren. I remember one policeman trying to comfort me. I was in a complete state of shock. Once I arrived to the house and saw the broken glass, the chaotic scene of people wailing and crying I finally understood that he was really killed.
"I walked into the living room, there was blood and broken glass everywhere, his chair stood upright but the rest of the room was disheveled. I went to his bedroom, he had been reading before the incident, his laptop was open surrounded by his books, his half cup of green tea was still there and the pits of two dates he had eaten. I held on to his robe which still had his scent. I can never forget that day, it will forever be ingrained in my memory."