Trophies aplenty but no money to attend college

Seventeen-year-old Indian expatriate Shahra Jafar Ali is sitting in her small Nad Al Sheba house, surrounded by dozens of trophies big and small. The eldest of three siblings, she proudly poses with the shiny golden medals and cups, all souvenirs of her success in school and outside. “All these are mine,” she gushes. Flanked by her mother, Shahra cheerfully talks about her passion for studies and recounts her high scores in grade 12 and 10 – 78 and 83 per cent respectively.

Daughter of a widowed Sri Lankan who came to the UAE on a maid’s visa in 1991, Shahra is seeking financial help to pursue college education as her mother is unable to support her. Shahra’s schooling was sponsored by an Emirati family that employed her Indian father, Jafar Ali Kader Ushen, as a PRO.

Ushen died in a road accident seven years ago at the age of 40. Shahra was just 10 years old. Her mother, Fathima, worked as a housemaid for the same Emirati family. Following Ushen’s death, Shahra, her mum and two younger brothers have been living off the generosity of the Emirati sponsor, who is also funding the education of her brothers. The family also gets Dh2,000 monthly to take care of basic needs.