UAE youth want to make the world a better place

Student life is often defined as one that's spent procrastinating over assignments, exchanging lunch boxes, and fretting over the system. But, not in the case of these UAE students. They're thinking beyond grades and homework. Not only do they believe that 'youth is the future', they aren't afraid of working to make it a reality. Excerpts from our conversations with the young change makers.
Meet sisters Jaahnvi (15) and Himakshi (11) Shastri. The duo from Dubai College realised that nothing comes from merely feeling sympathetic towards an issue. In their last summer break (2017), they spent some time with the children in a slum (basti) area in New Delhi. As part of a ten-day programme hosted by Naya Prayas, an education project, they got the chance to teach basic Math and English to the kids. They even gave them lessons in art and further printed their works onto greeting cards. "On returning, we kick-started an initiative called Creativity for a Cause and displayed their (kids) art across Dubai. The idea was to raise money to sponsor the project and hopefully contribute towards setting up an arts foundation at the slum," shares Jaahnvi.

LET'S TEACH: Himakshi (above) & Jaahnvi taught kids at a slum
Similarly, when Dhruv Karthik (17) encountered a situation that made him uncomfortable, he decided to deal with it head-on. The Address Dubai Mall fire on December 31, 2015, led him to design Firefly, a drone that quickens and strengthens the emergency evacuation system. "I felt that the existence of a rapid evacuation system could allow firefighters extended vision during such situations. It was a fairly unexplored space - the complications of making something fly as opposed to rove on the ground fascinated me," says the former Dubai International Academy student.  "Upon entering the building, the drone identifies those in need of help and hence makes evacuation smoother and quicker," he further explains the concept. Dhruv created Firefly for The UAE Drones for Good Award in February 2017 and was recognised as the youngest finalist in the competition.

GIRL POWER: Darianne's project gave voice to the adolescents.-Photo by Kiran Prasad/Khaleej Times
Darianne De Anda may not have been fascinated by drones, but surely flying. Her dreams of becoming a pilot got shattered when her dad pointed out that the field was male-dominated. She used her disappointment to make a change. "I was in Year 13 when I set up Girl Up, my version of the UN Foundation's adolescent girl campaign," says the recent GEMS Wellington School graduate. As part of the year-long project, Darianne and her friends raised money by hosting charity events like bake sales. Their most popular event was the Girl Hero Day, where they got guest speakers to talk about significant issues.

If you wish to borrow a good book, then head to the home of Aaditya and Aditi Gandhi. "We both love books and couldn't bear the thought of throwing them away," say the siblings. At Go Getters Library and Book Club, you can choose from 500 books across languages. The doors to this home library are open to readers in the age group of 5-18 every Saturday. "It was the declaration of 2016 as the Year of Reading that motivated us. Plus, this way we don't have to part with our favourite books," says Aditi.
Age has never been an obstacle in these success stories. "Being 17 gave me the required leverage and acted as a social lubricant," says Dhruv. Whilst social work surely looks good on the CV, the youngsters feel it also allows one to become self-aware. "Sitting in the lap of luxury, it is easy to overlook the struggles of others. The smiles of the children have stayed with us. They taught us how to  appreciate the little things in life," recalls Jaahnvi.

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