Dr Ayesha Saeed Husaini: Giving new direction to an inclusive society

Dr Ayesha Saeed Husaini is a messiah for many parents and children since she started a special journey in 1999 with Special Families Support Group (SFS).

The founder and director of Manzil Centre, an institution for special needs people in Sharjah, is one of the rare people who has strong background in special education. She is known for her thesis on 'inclusion in UAE' which also gives her a unique grounding on the needs of UAE society and how best to include individuals with disability.

The SFS is the UAE's first support group for families having individuals with disabilities.

Recalling her soulful journey as a social worker, Ayesha said: "SFS, that was launched in December 1999 with handful of members, grew to 200 members at one stage and we had to have our meetings at ballrooms of hotels. There was a strong need for institutions addressing the needs of individuals with disability, so SFS was actually the genesis of 'Manzil'. Since 2006, under our special vocational programme 'Pride', we have been able to incorporate people with disability in the workforce. Our aim at Manzil has always been to ensure that people we cater to ultimately live a life of dignity and are independent as far as possible."

What is 'giving'?

In the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, "giving" is defined by the differences we make: the differences in someone's life, in a society, or in a nation".

Dr Ayesha believes, the Year of Giving is an amazing initiative and she truly believes it comes at a critical time globally when societies are getting more protectionist and fragmented across the 'developed' world.

She said: "I believe that within UAE, there is a huge opportunity to take concrete steps by different societal participants - the government, private sector and most importantly, by all of us at an individual level wherein we should start caring for and reaching out to make a difference to people around us. At Manzil, we have volunteers, and as a result, I am happy to say that in the past quarter itself, we have worked with 375 volunteers across all walks of live to promote the Year of Giving".

As a suggestion for the 'Year of Giving', she said that the government, in conjunction with the private sector, could set up a UAE-wide Endowment Fund which will oversee the allocation of money to different social sector verticals (like cognitive challenges, child abuse, geriatric care, protecting women etc). This non-profit government funded entity would also create quality based evaluation frameworks which will assist in profiling the most professional charitable setups which will then be able to attract funding as well as recognition and industry partnerships. Just like the Knowledge and Human Development Authority rates schools, we should have transparent evaluation metrics across UAE for the charity sector."

She thinks another initiative would be to enhance the viability and facilitate the whole process of setting up social entrepreneurship frameworks which would encourage more people to tread along that path of making money - as well as doing good.

"At Manzil, we always maintain that it is much better to "teach people how to fish" than to just give them a fish for dinner".

Family my biggest support

Dr Ayesha was the operational trustee of Landmark International Foundation for Empowerment in 2000. She moved on from Life to start Manzil in 2005. She is also the founder trustee of ?Amani Foundation, which supports education of the girl child in India. From its inception in 2005, Manzil is now spreading its wings further and hoping to cross international borders, doing inclusion research and consultancy and is also involved as an intellectual partner with governmental entities.

Recently, Manzil Centre won the 2016 Excellence in Social Services Sector Award from Arabian Business, but Ayesha feels every additional accolade her centre gets is not just for them, but for the entire UAE social services sector which works tirelessly to make a difference to others.

"I could never have achieved any of this without the unconditional support I get from my husband and my family," she said.

She strives to become a better person each day, each hour and each moment, she comes across as simple yet strong headed person who has a dream to see every special needs person as an independent individual in the society. She believes nothing is impossible and everything can be achieved through hard work and determination. Today, because of her extra ordinary efforts many people can actually smile and lead their lives gracefully.

On her initiatives and charitable activities, her husband, Ricky Husaini, thinks a balance between family and the extended family has to be maintained.

"Put the oxygen mask in the plane on yourself first and then help your child is a great example. The reality of life is that people do not reciprocate and do not do as much as we expect from them. This doesn't mean one stops caring for others, but it just means that expectations should be kept minimal and optimism and internal well-being at optimal levels.

"The passion and commitment to make a difference has to be deeply ingrained in one's self ... Ayesha has had Manzil meetings which she had participated in via conference calls with IV tubes sticking out of her whilst she was in hospital... much to my chagrin as a husband," he reminded one incident that showcased her true passion.

What's next?

"The journey has just begun ... my desire to instill the feeling of making a difference in everyone around me is something which will never go away. ?I have often said that my dream of an inclusive society, in the true sense of the word, may still be distant but I am glad that we are moving in the right direction and I have been a part of that process."

Some other achievements

Dr Ayesha Saeed Husaini has been an educational psychologist, counselor and lecturer during her 20 years in Dubai. She has been a keynote speaker at many conferences, and her TV show 'Ask Ayesha' has been prominently featured in UAE media. She has won several awards, including the'UAE Woman of the Year' Award. Dr Ayesha is also the proud recipient of the 2012 Princess Haya Award for Special Education in the "Outstanding Director General" category

It began when she was eight

Ayesha Husaini, began her charity work when she was merely eight years old. As a teenager, she would read to the blind, and later on worked in villages near Delhi in an effort to educating women living in slums. The urge to give back to the society is deeply engrossed in her till today. She was nine when she saw the cobblers kids' fighting over a piece of onion and bread lying on the ground, and that made a big difference in her life ... made her want to reach out and make a difference to people?.

Kids speak of normal life

Aisha Ahmed, a special needs girl has speech issues, but after being trained at Manzil she feels confident and has started working also. She said: "I cannot speak properly but I can communicate with confidence now. Manzil has given a direction to my life."

Hanifa Saleem, 67 years, mother of two special needs children is from Pakistan, she was going through the toughest phase of her life when Ayesha lent her hand. Today, Hanifa's children are working and leading a normal life.

• UAE