Teenager taps potential of goodness in youngsters

Dubai - Saima and her friend Manaal Mulla together set up Step Up Dubai informally in July 2016, to give youngsters below 18, the opportunity to give back to the society

"Becoming a CEO in your teens is a feat but when you are driven by a passion that is for a larger good, God helps you achieve what you want," said 19-year-old Saima Khan, CEO and president of the UAE's first fully-governed (CDA licensed) youth organisation - Step Up Dubai. The teenager was speaking at the relaunch of the social club at the Heriot-Watt University on Friday evening.
Saima and her friend Manaal Mulla together set up Step Up Dubai informally in July 2016, to give youngsters below 18, the opportunity to give back to the society but were waiting for the licence from CDA to formally launch it.
The youth organisation rapidly grew and now has over 2,000 registered volunteers and 20 schools. After forming Step Up Dubai, Saima, Manaal got together with her closest friends - Noorain, Saif, Vishal, Ashita and Shashank - all in their early 20s, to form the core team.
Now, after being licensed by the CDA, Step Up Dubai aims to revolutionise the concept of social volunteering for the youth. 
Speaking to Khaleej Times on the occasion, Saima said: "Your passion to do something can do wonders. It keeps you on a set path and makes you work towards it and achieve it. 
Talking about her transformation from being a carefree, self-centered teenager to becoming a dedicated social worker, Saima said: " I started off volunteering work very reluctantly at the age of 13, only to please my mother and show her that I was being "productive", but after my first event with people of determination, I fell in love with it."
Even volunteering didn't come very easy for Saima. "It was hard for me to be accepted in any organisation, as I was only 13 when I started volunteering. The minimum age to volunteer was 16. And I thought that this had to change because there shouldn't be an age to make a difference."
This is when Saima decided that she would start a youth organisation that can harness the energy, talent and creativity of youngsters. 
"I realised that youth, who wanted to help, were being rejected everywhere just because of their age and no one was ready to give them an opportunity."
Describing the goals of their youth organisation, Saima said: "The goals of our organisation revolve around fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, make social impact in the UAE and create opportunities for youth empowerment. We have organised events such as beach cleanups, tree plantation programmes, winter break parties for special needs students and more."
Step Up Dubai will be hosting its first beach clean up on October 27,
saman@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE
• Dubai