Thursday, October 16, 2008
Action Day 2008: Poverty
Recently, I have joined Direct Aid (http://direct-aid.org), a non-profit organization founded and led by Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sumait. I work with them on IT solutions mostly, and on a recent project aimed to provide education to children and adults in Africa. I am loving it.
So, I introduced them to ”Blog Action Day” and they signed up their website and decided to write about the new campaign. It was such a surprise when we recieved an email from students (the Vision Club, to be exact) at the University of Sharjah inviting us to speak on campus about Poverty. We bought tickets and flew to Sharjah on October 14.
Here are the highlights of my trip:
- My E-Gate card didn’t work. Turns out they have issues with the machines at Sharjah Airport.
- There are women taxi drivers in Sharjah! Only at the airport though. Her driving got annoying, as she kept on pressing and releasing the brake paddle too many times.
- I hate Rotana Hotel - Sharjah. They kept us waiting for over an hour until we got our rooms, I did enjoy lunch during that time though.
- University City in Sharjah is amazing. It contains all universities: AUS, UOS, and a few more. The campus is just beautiful and HUGE!
- Watched the Campus Police ticket a student’s car because his left rear tire was on the line. He didn’t park correctly. We need Campus Police in Kuwait University.
- Vision Club (http://myvisionclub.com), the awesome team behind Action Day, were so great to us. They did a great job organizing the event and hosting it. I will blog about the program when I get home, inshallah.
- Direct Aid launched their campaign to educate 171,600 children, teenagers, women and men in Africa.
- A rep from United Nations attended the conference and spoke of their activities.
- Dean of Student Affair, Professor Abdullah Al-mneizl, invited us after the conference and we discussed many things, including psychology.
- I checked out their Master program for Computer Engineering and talked to the Dean of College of Higher Education. Nice program.
- Bought an interesting candle from Mega Mall in Sharjah. (this calls for a new post).
- Direct Aid EDU campaign website will launch later today. (Update: launched at edu.direct-aid.org)
- Blog Action Day had a radio show and I was in it (http://blogtalkradio.com/blogactionday).
- Life is like Kinder Surprise. You never know what you’re gonna get. Thankfully, there’s a guide in there too.
- Update: Forgot my USB disk on the table next to our Mac. They packed up everything nicely and gave it to us minus the USB! :/
Filed under: Interests | Trackback
Comments
2
3
Majd Elmashharawi |
Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 04.36 pm
Hello,
I really thank you for accepting our invitation, you really gave along with your colleague a shiny image for Kuwaiti young minds 
And yes the USB disk will be sent to you, please send me a PO box address..
I hope too that Vision club gave out the same shiny image, believe me, we did this event in 3 days, and with the help of 14 members, and 2 volunteers!
Keep up the good work
Majd
Vision Club -President.
4
Shaymaa |
Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 06.38 pm
@Majd thank you for your kind words. Don’t worry about the USB. Format it, and keep it
I know how much effort is required to pull off events like this on campus, and you guys did an excellent job! You have a great team and a very supportive Dean.
I hope you all the best in the future! Keep up the great work.
5
منال |
Fri Oct 17, 2008 at 08.08 pm
Salam dear
How wonderful to hear that from a young Ms like you
Superb work
You must be proud of yourself darling
Allah ewafgech Shaymaa
6
G Sabsabi |
Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 08.27 am
Hey;
I guess Majd and Monahannad have already talked about the event. I want to talk about the first 5 points…
1- Why did you choose such airport where Dubai Int’l is few mins away!!! Learn this, next time choose Dubai.
2- No offence, but women shouldn’t drive...That why my mom keeps saying too!!!
3- Drop Sharjah from you list next time 
4-The University City is the only cool thing in Sharjah, beside the museums
5- No one wants the Police, they are a headache :(
6- I got hard time preparing your Mac, I just want to know what’s is wrong with windows!!!!
Anyway, it was a great event, thank you for participating and your warm words, please send my regards to Dr.Nabeel…
7
Shaymaa |
Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 04.20 pm
@Manal, thank you sweety!
@Giathe, thanks! Yea, I prefer Rotana Dubai the one in Sharjah doesn’t even compare!
We wanted to avoid the traffic in Dubai, apparently, Sharjah has its own! We even missed the morning flight.
Yes, there are many women who piss me off with their driving! I just want to stop them and shred their driving licenses!
Nothing is wrong with Windows, Macs, or Ubuntu – just a matter of preference. We could have helped earlier; I didn’t know you had problems until I got on stage. It’s all good though.
8
Majd Elmashharawi |
Sat Oct 18, 2008 at 10.42 pm
Well, Ubuntu is my fav (A)
9
F. |
Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 04.26 pm
This post is amusing as are the comments…
Blog Action Day is an amazing idea. I wish we could start something like that in Kuwait, but sadly, our youth (guys and girls) are into 3 things: shopping, politics, and vacations.
So our student clubs are all about elections and who wins and gets support of other big dudes in the real government… blah blah blah
Why can’t we look into more serious issues, like poverty? the environment? or basic human rights which people don’t have in 2008?
Hmph (ends ranting).
Keep up the good work.
10
Alaa Alterkait |
Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 11.09 pm
We need to talk about this over brunch!
Soon!!
By the way, I’m so proud of you
1
you forgot to talk about your usb Flash memory , :D
realy nice work, mashallah, God bless you
mohannad
guest of honor in vision club
presedant of Jordanian cultural club