The orphans living in SOS Children’s Village in Irbid, Jordan have one wish this year: to go to the beach.
“We have never been, I want to see the fish,” says Ahmed, an 11-year-old orphan, who wiggles his hands to depict swimming fish.
The other eight children overhear him and agree. “Yes, yes. Beach.”
It would take four hours by bus for the children to reach the public Aqaba beach and the venture would be expensive – 3,500 Jordanian dinar (Dh18,000) for 88 children and carers. So for now, it’s a pipe dream.
Still Ahmed, who has never swum, confidently describes what will happen once they arrive.
“We will build sandcastles and swim like dolphins.”
As the children run around and go to school on their SOS Children Village premises in Irbid, their “mothers” cook large meals and attend to their every need.
Umm Asmahan couldn’t stop crying when asked about the 16 children she has raised since the opening of the Irbid branch 17 years ago, in 1999.
“I can’t let go of them,” says the 48-year-old Jordanian, who was a teacher when she joined the village as a mother. “They are my heart. You learn the real meaning of unconditional love in the villages. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling life.”
Soon one of Umm Asmahan’s sons, Rami, who is 14, will be moving to the SOS’s youth centre, where they take care of the older orphans.
“I want to stay here,” he says. “Mama is always there, and listens to me. I love her so much.”
Luckily the youth house is nearby, so he will be visiting regularly.
“You are my habibi,” she says, giving him a big hug.
Umm Asmahan says that while Allah has not given her the chance to marry and have children, He gave her much more.
“Imagine I have 16 children. Some are now young adults, and they come back to visit me. Not once did I feel they were not mine. Each child has a special gift and talent, you just have to have the patience and the love to see it and nurture it,” she says.
For a role model, the children turn to Baba Zakarya. Zakarya Momani has been director of the SOS Children Village of Irbid since it opened. “I am a father of 153 children; three my own, who always come and play with the children here,” he says.
As is the case for many of the SOS Village’s children, the youngest remain unaware of their situation and truly believe all those brothers and sisters are their blood siblings.
The same group who announced recently they would love to go to the beach have already made a plan B.
“It is OK. We have so much already. But if we can get a pool, we can have a beach party every day in our village,” says Khalid, 12, winking at his friend Ahmed.
Upon hearing a rumour that a cake was being brought over to the village, the two run off, chased by a group of children, in search of their next adventure.
rghazal@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
The years Ramadan fell in May
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2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
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65
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
Do not put them in a recycling bin
Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
