Got an idea? Step forward and make a difference

Women in the GCC are being urged to step forward, share their ideas, and help bring joy to their community.
As the world celebrates International Women's Day, Philadelphia's 'Creativity for a Cause' campaign began under the theme: 'Community Welfare'.
For the seventh year in a row, women from around the region have the chance to make their voice heard by bringing their creative ideas to life.
Past winner, Saher Shaikh (who founded the Adopt-A-Camp charity, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of labourers in the UAE), told Khaleej Times it is often the most simplest of ideas that make a difference to peoples lives.
"My message to those looking to submit their ideas is don't overthink it. In my experience, people who overthink things don't often get things done so be fearless in your idea."
Open to all women in the region (excluding school-goers) entries will eventually be whittled down to a shortlist of eight ideas, with the winning candidate receiving project funding of up to Dh100,000 to turn that idea into a reality.
Each shortlisted candidate will be shadowed by the four chosen mentors for the campaign including; Sara Al Balooshi, an Emirati photography; Shahd Thani, an Emirati writer; Hadeel Al Hussain, a Saudi entrepreneur; and Esra Alhamal, a Saudi Interior Designer.
The campaign's ambassador is MBC presenter and philanthropist, Fadia Al Taweel. Since its inception, the campaign has managed to reach out to over one million women in the region and beyond.
This year, as a first, it has also opened its doors to university students in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and has partnered with Dar Al-Hekma University, Saudi Arabia.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com