UAE: Pharmacist who cares for 200 kids with cancer, Down syndrome wins Dh1-million Hope Maker award

An Iraqi pharmacist who cares for hundreds of youngsters with cancer and children of determination was crowned the winner of the most prestigious award for philanthropy in Dubai Sunday. Though Tala Al Khalil won the main Dh1-million Hope Maker title, three other finalists were awarded Dh1 million each, too, to continue their humanitarian work.

Tala received the highest number of votes during a glittering ceremony held at Coca Cola Arena in front of a crowd of over 12,000 people.

She began her journey as a Hope Maker in 2015, when she started receiving young cancer patients in a special ‘caravan’ at the Basra Children’s Hospital to help them overcome challenges.

The remaining three finalists - an amputee who brought together several others like him to form a world class football team, a YouTuber who uses his channel for good and a childless woman who adopted 34 young girls - were all awarded the Dh1 million as well.

All four finalists were recognized as Arab Hope Makers by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The event kicked off with a video depicting the sights and stories of hope from Gaza.

“In our part of the world, hope making is life making. The only way we can overcome challenges is through collaborative efforts,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “Hope for a better future is what keeps people going. Every new generation bears the responsibility of creating a better reality in their communities. On the other hand, spreading despair is our major challenge, which is why we need to continue to nurture hope, optimism and positivity among the new generation.”

The 4th season of the largest initiative of its kind in the Arab region celebrating philanthropists was attended by government officials, celebrities and other dignitaries.

The ceremony also saw the participation of several Arab celebrities, including Ahlam, Hussain Al Jassmi and Assala, among others.

The inspiring stories

Tala’s initiative offered children with cancer a room for hope and optimism away from the hard reality of treatments and hospital wards. This was the start that inspired Tala to establish her Warriors Academy in 2018, to care for young people of determination who suffer various illnesses. Today, Tala personally cares for 200 children with Down Syndrome and cancer.

Offering much-needed psychological support to the children who now call her ‘mama’, Tala is a strong believer in the role of good mental health in enhancing immunity and the body’s ability to fight illness.

When 37-year-old Iraqi Dr. Mohamed Al Najjar lost his leg in 2014, the football fan turned his tragedy into a driver of change and hope. While studying for his PhD in England, he joined the Portsmouth football team for amputees. There he excelled and won the title of the club’s best player in 2019.

Upon returning to Iraq, he wanted to recreate this experience in his home country, and managed to form a football team of amputees that went from participating in international friendly matches to qualifying for the 2022 Amputee Football World Cup in Turkey just one year after its formation. Thanks to Al Najjar’s relentless effort, the Iraqi team now ranks 19th globally out of 70 amputee football teams

Al Najjar’s selfless drive to help amputees like him went beyond training and motivating the players, until the team was good enough to attract sponsors.

From Morocco, the audience met Youtuber Amine Imnir, whose social media account ‘Faysboki’ strives to improve living conditions for underprivileged Moroccans. Heading the AFTAS Society for Development and Solidarity, Amine has sponsored a number of humanitarian initiatives and aid campaigns in his country, documenting his efforts through his Faysboki TV channel to help spread the culture of humanitarian work and motivate others to join. AFTAS’s list of achievements includes distribution of over 1,000 solar panels, more than 4,500 food parcels to poor families including widows and orphans, financing 217 surgeries in 2023 and the planting of 2,800 fruitful trees.

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