Portrait of a nation: Service to others is its own reward

Social worker Joseph Bobby has asked a lot of himself and his family in the past 14 years as he reaches out to the needy and challenges the powerful of all nations to find more compassion for the poor.

Joseph Bobby, pictured with daughter Jeane, is a straight-talking man. Reem Mohammed / The National

DUBAI // The life of a social worker is not an easy one. For Joseph Bobby, 44, from India, it means balancing his job, family and volunteer work every day.

According to Mr Bobby, the first challenge starts with his family.

“At first the family will find it hard to cope with your late hours, but as time passes and they start appreciating your volunteer work, attitudes change and they start taking pride in your efforts. It’s a long process,” he said.

In 2001, he joined a group of friends who helped the needy in Dubai.

“I was so fascinated the way my friends took time from their lives and day-to-day struggles to help others, strangers,” he said.

“I wanted to be part of that and support my destitute brothers and sisters in the UAE regardless of whether I knew them or not. I want to help them in their tough times,” said Mr Bobby, who has been volunteering for the past 14 years.

He said that working as an independent social volunteer is sometimes challenging.

“You struggle with time, resources, money and credibility.”

He said although most of the major expenses are covered by charity and donations, there are many hidden costs that a social worker has to cover from his own pocket.

“Phone bills, fuel costs and other expenses often become difficult to bear for a mid-income social worker. It pinches you sometimes but when you see that your hardship has helped someone, you forget that.”

He said the UAE is a great country with many donors and “angels”.

He said he found middle income people to have the most generous spirits.

“Despite their limited resources, their pockets and hearts are always open to help,” he said.

Mr Bobby said it was difficult to count how many people he has assisted since 2001.

“What I can tell you is that on average I deal with 50 cases every month, either independently or along with other friends. You can calculate that over 15 years,” he said with a smile.

His work began with destitute Malayali (Keralite) expatriates, but his horizons gradually broadened.

He said that he has helped people of almost all nationalities.

“Be they Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino, Sri Lankan, British, American, you name it, I have been fortunate enough to help them in their tough times.”

Mr Bobby said that over the years he came to realise that some embassies in the UAE cared more about their citizens than others.

“Ironically, embassies of western developed countries are concerned more about rules than helping the destitute, someone who is suffering from a difficult situation,” Mr Bobby said.

“There have been cases where western holidaymakers landed in hospital with an emergency and when we contacted their embassies, the first thing they ask is about health insurance.

“If the patient has no proper papers, the mission doesn’t intervene or take extra efforts to help its national. For them everything is about the system.”

By comparison, embassies of developing countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines are more caring, he said.

“Whenever we approach them they help us as much as they can. And in many cases they go beyond the call of duty to help the destitute. They are more sensitive compared to those who consider themselves as champions of human rights,” said Mr Bobby.

The best embassy in the UAE is the Indian embassy, he said.

“I am saying this purely on my personal experience. Despite having so much work pressure and not too many resources, the Indian mission is always available to help its citizens living or visiting the UAE.”

Social work is like an addiction, he said. “Once you get started you cannot leave it. Nothing can replace the pleasure and satisfaction you get after helping others. I will continue to do this until my last breath, whether I am alone or with other like-minded friends and family.”