A Dubai schoolgirl embraced her passion for dance to raise Dh63,000 to support breast cancer patients after being inspired to step up for the cause by her great grandmother's battle with the disease.
Reyna Mehta, 16, a pupil at Jumeirah College, who has trained in the Indian dance Bharatanatyam since she was seven, organised and took part in a performance featuring a cast of cancer survivors. Her dance teacher helped to choreograph the show.
The money was donated to the Al Jalila Foundation, a non-profit healthcare organisation carrying out key work in the fight against cancer via YallaGive, the first licensed online donation and crowdfunding platform in the Middle East.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UAE, with about 4,500 cases reported each year.
“When my great grandmother, 90 years old, got diagnosed with breast cancer, I could see, initially she was weak but after around a month, she was back to her normal life,” said Reyna.
"That's when I realised that cancer doesn't have to be a barrier. You don't need to stop your life because you've been diagnosed with cancer.”
Charitable drive
Reyna started a YallaGive link and raised Dh50,000 within the first three weeks, she said. By the end of October, she had raised Dh63,000.
The dance show was held at Majlis Al Amal, the Al Jalila Foundation's cancer drop-in centre dedicated to supporting female patients.
“We had four dancers who were cancer survivors at Majlis Al Amal and for a month before the performance, we would practise and dance with them," said Reyna.
The money raised will help UAE-based female cancer patients receive the treatment they need through Al Jalila Foundation's A’awen patient care programme.
“These women are survivors, and they are still dancing...some of them had not danced since high school, some of them hadn't danced in years, but still, when it came to this, I saw their resilience," she said.
"I saw the way they pushed themselves. They had bad days and sometimes they weren't feeling well, they had chemotherapy, but they still made it to practice, and they still worked harder than any of us to make sure that that the dance was perfect.
“It just showed me that if you put your head mind to something, nothing can stop you, no matter what happens and no matter what obstacles you face."
Dr Amer Al Zarooni, chief executive of Al Jalila Foundation, praised the young charity champion for her efforts.
“The unwavering support from our community is the lifeline that enables us to bring care, spread hope, and empower patients," he said.
"When a young advocate like Reyna steps forward, her compassion sends a powerful message that resonates beyond our walls, inspiring positivity and unity across the community.
"Her efforts not only provide essential resources, but also remind us of all of the incredible strength found in collective compassion.’’
Anjana Ketty, Reyna’s dance teacher, said: "I have known Reyna for the past eight years and this has been her dream project as she had a personal reason for helping cancer patients.
"The brilliant idea of bringing three styles of genres and including members of Al Jalila Foundation in the performance was Reyna’s."
Dedicated to helping others
Reyna has long advocated for women’s causes and organised workshops for girls in underprivileged areas of India.
She created a 10-session syllabus on menstrual awareness for girls aged 12 to 18, which she has been using for almost two years to teach underprivileged girls, virtually and in-person, all over India. The syllabus is now being certified and is being distributed to schools in disadvantaged areas globally through an Indian organisation. The syllabus covers the menstrual cycle, body changes and hygiene.
She said her goal was to help girls understand that their financial situation did not stop them from living life and neither did they need to skip school when they had their period.
Lucy Bruce, founder of Harmony House, a non-governmental organisation in India that Ms Mehta approached for support, said: "When Reyna took her first session I think everybody was really surprised how quickly the groups felt really comfortable.
"I think there was a lot of information, a lot of dialogue around the taboo that these girls live within while they're on their menstrual cycles and I think that was very eye-opening for Reyna as well.
"I think that's really important if somebody is volunteering that if you're sharing your knowledge, your skills, your experience but you're also learning as well from a group of students who live very differently to what we do."
