By Safiya Al Nuaimi
DUBAI – Every year, students of Zayed University volunteer at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City which this year was from the period of March 4 to March 8.
At the 2014 festival, ZU students met up with Yara Mirdad, the competitions manager at EAFOL, and they were informed on what they were required and expected to do during the event. After the students decided on which area they could volunteer in, they chose their desirable time-slot and headed to the event based on their shifts.
One student expressed her experience as a volunteer in EAFOL for the first time.
“It was phenomenal volunteering for the first time because in a way it’s like you’re serving your country and giving back,” said Noura Al Mulla, a sophomore at ZU. As a research volunteer, Al Mulla held the responsibility of interacting with new people, which she loved. “Seeing Emirati people volunteer made me really happy because we’re often underestimated for being lazy, when in fact we’re the complete opposite,” Al Mulla said.
One of the attendees was a member of Untitled Chapters, an all-female writing community. She expressed her view about the volunteers.
“It’s nice seeing Emiratis volunteering in a place filled with expats,” said Shahd Thani.
Another attendee was an aspiring writer and a blogger named Maitha Al Hosani.
“To know that there are locals who are taking time of their weekend to help; it restored my faith in them. Our youth has great potential,” said Al Hosani, a sophomore at American University of Sharjah, studying Mechanical Engineering.
Aside from the Emirati insights, Liz Fenwick, one of the authors that was part of EAFOL, shared a different aspect of Emiratis in volunteer work.
“Before the festival, I only knew one Emirati. Now I have more than 50 Emirati friends on Twitter,” said Fenwick, author of “A Cornish House,” “A Cornish Affair” and “A Cornish Stranger.” That exposure to young dedicated Emiratis helped her reach a better cultural understanding, Fenwick explained.
About the Author
Safiya Al Nuaimi. Film and Video senior at Zayed University. Copy Editor. Writer.
This story was originally published on Sept. 24, 2014. It was re-uploaded on Dec. 23, 2020. The photo that accompanied this story was lost due to the loss of the domain name.
