'Bittersweet' moment: UAE expat wins Dh100,000 on day of grandma's funeral

The 59th weekly live Mahzooz draw restored hope in the hearts of three lucky winners after they won Dh100,000 each in the raffle draw.

Filipino national Mary calls her prize money the ‘rainbow after the rain.’ The 41-year-old real estate in-charge from Dubai was grieving her grandmother’s death when her friend called her with the good news of her win. “The results came on my grandmother's funeral day, so I was just sitting in my room upset that I wasn’t at her burial in the Philippines,” said Mary of the bittersweet moment.

“I’ve lost many loved ones through 2021 and entered 2022 feeling numb. With this win, I feel hopeful and more positive about the year ahead. That’s the greatest gift Mahzooz has given me – hope,” she said.

Besides being a ray of hope, Mary’s Mahzooz win will also help her accomplish her goals of donating to the needy, setting up savings for her two-year-old daughter, and building a house in the Philippines. “The pandemic put the brakes on that dream, but this prize money is a blessing – we won’t have to dip as much into our hard-earned savings to push forward with our dream home,” added Mary.

First-time participant Anckur, 39, is thrilled that his winnings will fast-track him towards a lifestyle he’s always aspired to. “I participated on an impulse after reading stories of Mahzooz winners in the newspapers,” said the Dubai-based food and beverage entrepreneur from India.

“Dubai is a place where you can always do better, even if you make a decent living; we have no concrete plans, but my wife and I have a few ambitions of what we want the second half of our lives to look like,” he added.

However, Anckur is certain that he will continue participating in Mahzooz and encourages budding entrepreneurs to do the same. “I’m no longer a struggling entrepreneur but the momentum that capital of Dh100,000 can give a business would have meant the world when I was starting out,” he said.

Jashim, a Bangladeshi personal chauffeur from Al Ain, said, “I’ve only been participating for four months, and I won the grand draw’s third prize of Dh350 too,” said the 37-year-old. Jashim first plans to use his winning amount to improve his family’s life back home. He then intends to use the remaining amount to help friends with lower incomes. “Mahzooz gave me a lifeline, and it’s my job to spread that goodness and hope,” he said.

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The 59th weekly live Mahzooz draw also saw 21 winners share the Grand Draw’s Dh1 million second prize, taking home Dh47,619 each. The top prize of Dh10 million is still up for grabs in the upcoming Grand Draw on January 15.

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