Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.
No matter what you’re going through, you’re never really alone. Sometimes, all you need is to find your community, your people, who make you feel understood. Look closely, and you’ll find them all around you.
This week’s Beshara explores how sharing our experiences can help us find confidence, connection, and a way forward.
For Dubai artist Sharan Budhrani, this has meant writing about life with muscular dystrophy, finding solace in creativity and giving hope to those facing similar challenges.
In Abu Dhabi, Emirati Farah Al Qaissieh is fulfilling a dream she shared with her late brother: building a community where people who stutter feel supported and understood.
And as the Dubai Fitness Challenge returns, residents reflect on how getting active together transformed their lives in ways far beyond their physical wellbeing.
Through their openness, these people are helping others feel less alone.
Do you have good news or positive stories you want us to share? Email me at: falmahmoud@thenationalnews.com
'I just keep going'
Dubai artist Sharan Budhrani, 36, found solace in art and poetry, using them to express himself as he pushed past depression and discovered a hidden power in being the "odd one out".
Now, he hopes his words can encourage others and help them feel less isolated.
In his new book, Chasing Kites, Budhrani reflects on living with muscular dystrophy, overcoming bullying and finding his creative voice.
“Mental strength is what I offer others... I want people to know I did not give up, I just keep going,” he tells The National. “Having a disability does not mean I have no dreams.”
Quoted
'I came from the lands of pyramids and civilisation. I’m the daughter of Egypt, the heart of the Arab world, I read more than 70 books and will not stop reading'
– Mayar Mohammed, 11, was named the winner of this year's Arab Reading Challenge. Now she plans to build a small library in her school with the prize money "to be a shelter for every student searching for books to read".
A place for every stutterer
Farah Al Qaissieh knows the difference it can make to meet someone who understands you.
Through Stutter Community, the Emirati advocate is helping people who stutter connect, share their experiences and build confidence.
Now, she hopes to establish a dedicated centre in Abu Dhabi, continuing a dream she shared with her late brother, Mansour.
“Imagine if somebody who is seven, 10 years old, or in their teens could meet people who have been through it,” she says. “It helps them realise they’re not alone.”
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