A place in town for the distressed souls

By Asma Ali Zain, Khaleej Times Reporter 

DUBAI — Villa 18 in Jumeirah has endless stories to tell. Tales of abandoned children, runaway maids, battered and bruised wives, women and children with problems that would touch anyone's emotional chords.

Villa 18 is home for the needy. "Our doors are open for anyone in distress irrespective of caste, creed, colour or religion. Any human being in danger has the right to be safe and that is the reason we are here — to provide shelter — without asking any questions," says Sharla Musabih, who manages the shelter home with the help of two other women, Leena Mustafa and Margaret (Aliya) Greeney.

Working for the cause of humanity for the past 15 years, Sharla says times have changed. “We can now talk about many issues openly which was not possible earlier. In all these years, I have managed to build a network that leads me to a person in distress," she explains. The shelter home was opened in 2001 when the number of people who needed help increased and the volunteers felt they needed a place, which they could call home. 

Sharla, who is also on the board of directors at the Jumeirah Islamic Centre, said, "Through this forum, we are working together to bridge cultural and religious gaps." Since its opening, the villa has been home to hundreds of women and children. Speaking of runaway maids, Sharla said: "Even if the maid lands here illegally, or has broken the law, she still deserves immigration. Maybe she did not know what to do in the situation she was in and that is what led her to do what she did. We let her stay at the shelter until she is given a ticket back home and her problem has been sorted out."

Sharla goes on to add that it is the responsibility of the governments of the countries that maids come from to give them training and familiarise them with important numbers in case of emergencies before they are sent to work in a foreign country.

The villa is also home to women caught in the trafficking web. "It’s a mafia out there. Women from Far Eastern Europe are brought to the country with promises of good jobs in hotels, boutiques and beauty salons. When they board the aircraft, they are given passports that change their nationality, and when they are deported, they land in the hands of the mafia again," she said. "Such women are looked down upon in our society, but does anyone realise that they are physically, mentally and emotionally scarred for life?" asks Sharla.

The sight of innocent children abandoned by parents is among the most heart-wrenching sights one can come across, says Sharla. "They do not have any relations, no status and above all no home to go back to," she says, adding: "We keep them at the shelter home till their cases are sorted out with the authorities and they are placed in a foster home. They need dignity, love, education and a secure future."

Women who run away because of domestic abuse have also found shelter at the home on several occasions. Funded by weekly garage sales besides donations from companies and philanthropists, the shelter home is managed by Kareema (name changed), a Somalian, who herself had faced problems in life. The neighbourhood also pitches in with food and clothing quite often.

"Each girl is given a chore to perform including cooking. She also takes part in the garage sale, so as to make her feel that she is contributing towards her stay," explains Sharla.

"With UAE developing at a rapid pace, social needs of the people are also increasing. UAE is a passive community with a non-violent culture. The urgent need is to bring NGOs with nationals of different countries together to tackle problems faced by the multi-cultural society," said Sharla.

Though not recognised officially, the shelter home hopes to get registered in the City of Hope soon, says Sharla. 

Two-year-old denied parental rights

Two-year-old Haseeb (name changed) cowers with fright when anyone approaches him. An unwanted child, he was dumped by his mother who was deported for engaging in promiscuous behaviour. For two years after his birth, he was 'thrown' from house to house, beaten black and blue, and had always remained unwanted.

Without any legal status or any place to go, Haseeb had no future whatsoever. A child denied his legal rights, Haseeb looks at the world through eyes that have black rings around, having faced physical punishment for no fault of his. His bruised body tells tales of the days past, and gives hints of what the future might hold for him. He even doubts the intentions of the people wanting to love him, even though for a moment. "We will keep him at the shelter home till we solve his problem and get him a status," says Sharla. "It is a tough fight, but we have to do something about him until he gets a foster home," she adds.

Likewise, young Salima (name changed) peers from behind the door of her room at the shelter. She has been abandoned by her parents because she embraced Islam. Taking refuge at the shelter home, Salima feels she can practise her religion freely without being intimidated by her parents. "Parental rights are second and human rights are first," says Sharla. "I have tried to convince her parents that the child will not stop respecting them if she becomes a Muslim. Everything remains the same, only the wish of the child has to be respected," says Sharla.

A different story

S.K.’s story is different. She was given a place to stay at the centre because she was new to the country and had no place to go. "I was relocating from Iran, and wanted a job before I could bring my family over. Luckily, I met the volunteers of the shelter home through the Islamic Centre and they offered me a home at the centre," she said. "I stayed at the centre for three months. But during the time I stayed there, I was exposed to a kind of a world that I had no idea existed,” she said.