A labour of love

FOR DUBAI'S unskilled labour population, Valentines Day usually goes unmarked and uncelebrated. It becomes yet another reminder of the disparities of wealth in the city, on a day that is meant to honour love.

For these labourers, the day simply highlights the time they are forced to spend apart from their loved ones in order to sustain the family's existence in each of their respective countries.

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But one local company's gesture aimed to brighten the day of a few workers, reminding us of the true value that a simple gift has.

Cupola Teleservices (CTS), an outsourcing contact centre based in Dubai Internet City, decided to alter their Valentines Day plans in the office this year.

Traditionally, gifts are gathered by employees of the company to be distributed internally in what was dubbed a 'Valentines Run'.

But that changed when the idea to collect these gifts and personally distribute them at a construction zone garnered support and enthusiasm from CTS employees.

“Being the season of love and giving, for a change we thought instead of giving to the people we have in our network, give it to people whom we turn a blind eye to most often. They're the ones who build the skyscrapers for us, they're the ones who are building the Metro for us, and they're just ignored. We thought of reaching out to them today,” says Lovesh Miranda, a team leader at CTS and organiser of the giveaway.

So mid-day last Thursday (commonly celebrated as Valentine's day the world over), a small bus carrying about a dozen employees randomly chose a construction site along Shaikh Zayed Road to surprise the labourers with the donated gifts.

As the workers were busy toiling away at the rapidly growing Dubai Metro, word quickly spread of what was happening. In a matter of minutes, dozens had lined up to receive and open the decoratively wrapped gifts ranging from simple ornaments and knick-knacks to items of practicality.

“Bedspreads and tea mugs; these are things that they can use on a daily basis and things that they cannot afford to buy themselves,” Miranda states as the queue grew longer with excitement.

“We are doing this for the very first time. Being Valentine's Day most people prefer spending it with those they love. But it's high time we reach out and look after these workers who are otherwise ignored.”

The large group of recipients gathered in a circle to pose for pictures with the company volunteers. Clinching tightly their respective gifts, one only wonders if this may very well have been the first gift they had received in a lifetime. Or more troubling is the thought that this could have been the first and only act of kindness and compassion they had been shown since arriving in Dubai.

Shetwesh Dyaga, a construction officer working on the Metro, states, “This is a good thing. Today is Valentine's Day and giving them these presents will mean a great deal for the workers.”

CTS showed generosity at a time when most individuals were busy planning their own enjoyment.

But their act of kindness is just a mere droplet to what can be be done by companies across the U.A.E. Most holidays pass uneventfully for the nation's huge labour population, and it would be great if more steps are taken to assure that respect and value is prized as Dubai's greatest goal.

As volunteer Chaitali puts it best; “There's no one here who cares for them, and they've all left their homes to make a living all alone, far away from their families just as we do. So why can't we all meet up together as one big family and help make Dubai a better place to live in?”

“It is all about sharing with people who make our daily life better. So I think I would like my Valentine to be the people here, the ones who build the city for me, and make my life worth living,” she says as the dust clears and the labourers return to their job site.