Unsung Heroes

21st Century Leaders Unsung Heroes of Asia

HELEN SHEHADEH
Palestine
At the age of two Helena lost her eyesight overnight due to a Diptheria Epedemic in her home country, Palestine. In 1952 Helena began teaching at the Armenian Institute for the Blind in Beirut which was run by a Swill Committee. Helena has dedicated her life to teaching blind students in various places accross the Middle East. Helena was made Director of The National Society for the Visually Handicapped in Palestine 1981 a position she held until 1995. After this she set up her own school where she continues to work today at the age of 75.

Eman Obaidly and son Ghanem
Qatar
Eman Ahmed Al Obaidly is a woman with a mission. She is breaking with tradition, proudly raising her son Ghanem who has Caudal Regression Syndrome in the public eye and focusing all her energy on giving him, and others like him, an opportunity for a full and active participation in the world they live in. She corresponds frequently with ambassadors and with many international societies for handicapped and disabled children and resolutely continues with her quest to raise awareness for her child and other special needs in Qatar and the Gulf region.

Sara Mohamed al-Shamlan
Qatar
What started off as a school project has turned into a noble cause for a 15-year-old Qatari girl. As part of her community and service project, Sara Mohamed al-Shamlan, a student at Qatar Academy, visited some impoverished homes at Abu Hamour in Doha. Now, she feels responsible to create an awareness of the state in which these people, mainly from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, lead their lives in Qatar. Daughter of well-known Qatari businessman Mohamed Marzooq al-Shamlan, managing director of Marzooq Al Shamlan & Sons (MSS), Sara considers her father a major catalyst for her way of thinking.