Doing charity in every form is her norm

Dubai - The 10-year-old, who has also won the Humanitarian Award of the Year, started this year by giving or rather donating her most prized possession: her long and silky hair.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." These words by Winston Churchill inspired 10-year-old Mishal Faraz to look beyond herself and try to be useful to the world around her, serving the community and the environment. 
From donating her hair to cancer patients, collecting toys and books from her neighbours to donate, to being a keen environmentalist, and a reading ambassador of her school - The Winchester School, Jebel Ali - Mishal believes that giving truly fills life with things that money cannot buy: contentment, happiness and a sense of peace.
Together with her younger brother Mir, who is just six, Mishal keeps herself busy with community and environmental work as possible.
The 10-year-old, who has also won the Humanitarian Award of the Year, started this year by giving or rather donating her most prized possession: her long and silky hair.
"This year, I got a chance to fulfil a cherished dream of mine. I donated my hair to Friends of Cancer Patients so that it can be made into a wig for someone who has lost their hair to this cruel disease called cancer. I have always been complimented on my long hair and parting with it was hard. But the day I did, I realised that the important essence of giving is to give something that is dear to you. I felt a happiness too profound for words when I thought of the joy on the face of the person who would receive the wig," Mishal told Khaleej Times.
A green bent of mind
Talking about her passion for keeping our planet clean and green, Mishal said: "We have this responsibility to give back to the planet which gives everything to us - we have to love, nurture, respect and care for our planet. My brother and I are dedicated environmentalists and believe that whatever can be reduced, recycled and reused must be reduced, recycled and reused." 
Mishal and her family are also members of the Emirates Environmental Group and regular participants in the recycling programmes, tree-planting and clean-up drives. "Every week, we religiously go around our neighbourhood collecting recyclable items. Till now, our recycling efforts have helped save more than 30 trees from getting chopped down and we mitigated over six metric tonnes of carbon emissions," Mishal said.
Mishal also regularly holds awareness campaigns at school on the various ways we can be kind to our planet. Paper, food and e-waste are some of the topics she has covered. 
Two weeks ago, Mishal bought 200 books and sent them to a school in the slum area in her hometown in India. After a few days, she received a picture of the children holding a paper saying 'Thank you, Mishal'.
"That made my day. This is something I'll be doing regularly now. I also plan to organise a book collection drive so that I can send books to more children in many more schools," she said.
She recalls packing stationery items for refugee children in the war-torn Gaza area. "In 2015, after spending my day at the Dubai Cares initiative 'Rebuild Palestine', I remember going back home happy and content. Some days passed and one morning, when I picked up the newspaper, I saw a picture of those backpacks delivered to the children. They had the widest smiles on their faces and were holding the backpacks as if they were the biggest treasure in the world. That picture will always stay in my mind."
Mishal and Mir also participated in Iftar packing and distribution initiative for labourers in Al Quoz area, held by Watani Al Emarat Foundation. In addition, they went around their neighbourhood collecting toys and books that they handed over to Toys for Tots and Red Crescent respectively.
All-round charity
Naming some more drives, Mishal, who aspires to be an environmental scientist one day, spoke about her participation in Eros group's 'Pass It On Campaign' (2016), held at their school. 
"It was a month-long campaign during which I went around my neighbourhood and all the schools to spread awareness about passing on old but working electronic items to the underprivileged. My efforts were lauded by the school and the Eros group, and I was given the opportunity to go to the labour accommodation to distribute the items to almost 75 labourers, whose faces just lit up when they received the items."
For Mishal, giving is not just about handing out money or material goods. It could be sharing your time with an elderly person, reading to a differently-abled child or just smiling at someone. "Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) saw a smile as a gift of joy. In his book Reflections on Happiness and Positivity, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has said that 'a smile is a global language that all human beings understand'. So a smile is the most wonderful random gift you can give to someone. 
"Giving truly fills life with things that money cannot buy - contentment, happiness and a sense of peace. So go ahead people - be kind, smile big, extend a helping hand... Make a difference no matter how big or small. Be a giver!"
saman@khaleejtimes.com
 

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