The Mother of Giving

Inspired by session

Raja Yoga Center celebrates women in partnership with the Dubai Police for Year of Giving initiative. Dubai Police’s ‘Mother of Ambulance’ and UAE’s ‘Mother of Modest Fashion’ speak about women and giving.

In a unique celebration of the Year of Giving initiative, about 40 remarkable women in the UAE recently gathered in a one-of-a-kind forum and shared their experiences as givers in society, highlighting the important role women play as natural givers. Raja Yoga Center’s Women Empowerment program in association with the Dubai Police held a forum at the Dubai World Trade Club to highlight the nature of giving among women, and how women can continue to empower themselves to remain as beacons of society.

Lieutenant Colonel Jamila Al Za’abi

Director of Women Jail – Dubai Police

Sharing her momentous experiences as a paramedic, Lieutenant Colonel Jamila Al Za’abi, received a standing ovation among the audiences for simply expressing herself and how she views others who she helps in times of need. Known as the ‘Mother of Ambulance’ among the Dubai Police force, she instantly pulled the crowd’s affection after sharing her experience at a fire incident in Dubai, where she relentlessly without thinking of how or why, just spent her time for 18 hours to help and be with the family in need at the time of distress.

She highlighted that mothers are always giving and giving and giving, noting that although it may be her father who inspired her to take up a nursing degree, but it was her mother who was with her at every step, making sure that she studies well. “Always there is a he. But every time I see them as my father, brother or son, I get the power (the strength to do something).”

“If you love your job, you will give and give and give,” the single mother of three, added, who faced many difficulties in life before she was able to reach her current position at the Dubai Police. When asked for how long more she can serve, she said, she can go on serving for 25 more years, even as she has been serving in the last 32 years. I forgot what I was wearing. I saw my father, my brother and my son in them.”

Her heroism earned her a surprise visit from His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. She joyfully recalled the moments when H.H. Sheikh Mohammad had visited her humble abode.

Rabia Z.

Fashion Designer

Another trailblazer in her field, Emirati modest fashion pioneer Rabia Z., passionately shared her experiences and the challenges that she went through to be able to fully establish her business in ‘modest fashion’, a USD 300 billion global market that remains untapped, but offers an opportunity for many women of her faith to practice Islam and keep their clothing in modesty and yet stylish.

As a young teenager growing in the United States, Rabia shared how discovering spirituality and peace in her faith had turned her to follow the disciplines and started wearing hijab, which has become a challenge at a time when hate crimes against Muslims in the US had become intense in 2011.

But unfazed by the challenges, Rabia, realized the need to be creative. “I faced a lot of hate crime. I just discovered this peace and why do I have to give up just for the comfort of others,” she recalled.

She started popularizing wearing colorful headdresses that attracted many of her friends, until word spreads and that was how she started designing clothes for modest fashion and sell it online through e-commerce.

Her humility and courage continues to inspire even as the fashion industry has many times not been very friendly to her and her beliefs. She is very humbled and happy to witness how her efforts have changed the perception of others, particularly big businesses in the fashion industry whose concepts of fashion are focused on showing the skin at most times.

“I received a lot of emails and it was another awakening for me, I had no idea about the challenges these women face. That’s when I thought that it is time to push modest fashion into the mainstream.” 

Meelu G. Wadhwani

Motivational Speaker & Presenter

Lastly, Meelu G. Wadhwani, who teaches meditation and has been practicing Raja Yoga for 25 years and facilitates the Women Empowerment program at RYC, led the women participants to honor the mother of all mothers – every woman in the room.

Meelu explained the three types of personalities in the world – the takers, the givers and the receivers – and shared the ways how to become more as givers and receivers by understanding the universal law of attraction.

The more one focuses on negative thoughts, feelings and emotions, the more one attracts them towards itself. She discussed how Raja Yoga meditation can be a tool to shift the focus inwards. One of the most common quest for meditation is peace of mind and happiness. Shifting the focus first towards happiness by filling the mind with positive thoughts, positive qualities and a simple list of gratitude will automatically bring the desired result of peace without much effort.

Meelu also urged the audience to read a book she herself has read titled ‘Reflections on Happiness and Positivity’ written by H.H. Sheikh Mohammad where he shared his morning routines which starts with a prayer followed by meditation as a way of reflection by walking in solitude for about 10 kilometers in the desert. She quoted him, saying, “Meditation is a spiritual and mental exercise that is indispensable for any leader.”

Meelu then ended the session with a guided meditation commentary. The two-hour event was filled with gratitude, eagerness and enthusiasm from the audience, including the few men who provided their assistance and support during the event.

“In every human relationship, we exchange energy through thoughts, feelings and vibrations,” she noted, adding that the ‘golden key’ to spread positive energy is focus.