ABU DHABI // When was the last time you received a picture in the mail of an exotic location along with the words, “Wish you were here”?
Not recently enough, says Noor Shamma, an Emirati whose Postcard Initiative is bringing a little more light into people’s lives – especially to the vision impaired in under-developed countries.
“I thought it would be nice just mailing people things because we’re always texting. We don’t even call people any more,” said Noor, 30.
“I announced it on my Instagram account, NoorShamma, to family, friends and strangers to send me their addresses if interested.
“By February 14, I had more than 70 addresses, which is more than a postcard a week, so I decided to send a couple a week.”
The project has spread to the point that artists from around the world are paying Dh500 to have their work included on the postcards, much of which goes to the Noor Dubai Foundation, and to printing the postcards.
It all started in January when the Emirati decided to send a postcard each week of the year to teach herself how to stick to a project. The cards are interactive and include thoughts or images, and a message from Noor.
“I didn’t expect that many, the reactions were amazing,” she said. “One person actually told me they teared up when they received it.”
Noor’s aim is to spread a bit of love in an increasingly unstable world.
“Nowadays, a lot of things have been happening politically, globally, even natural disasters. There’s so much sadness in the world it’s quite depressing,” she said.
“And we as humans are losing that communication and that humanity. There’s nothing to look forward to, everything is so predictable now with our high connectivity. It’s good in a way, but the way it’s being portrayed has been very negative overall.”
She said social media had become more of a bragging platform than a tool for communication.
“It’s a shame,” Noor said. “Because with the technology nowadays, we should use it to better connect with others, while people don’t call you any more to check on you and they just text you on your birthday for instance.”
Today, she has 222 addresses from 40 countries and 100 cities.
“I sent out 45 postcards to countries including Taiwan, Spain, Slovenia, Senegal, Scotland, Puerto Rico, Japan and Australia,” Noor said. “People are looking forward to this so it’s very heart warming.”
She has now teamed up with Noor Dubai, which works to prevent blindness and eye disease in under-developed countries.
“They have vans where they treat people for free. There are millions of cases of blindness in these countries just because they need an US$8 (Dh29) operation or they need glasses for $4. With this, they get their full vision back so it’s a great impact.”
So far, 26 artists from around the world have paid to submit 37 works at Dh500, 20 per cent of which will go to the charity and the rest back into marketing and production of the postcards.
“Every artist gets their artwork on the back of the postcard, with the title, year of production, name of the artist and their Instagram account,” Ms Shamma said. “I contacted everyone from graphic designers, photographers, culinary artists and floral designers to fashion designers, wedding planners, cake designers, doll makers and painters. It’s a marketing tool at the same time.”
Rami Khalife, a Lebanese-French composer and pianist in Paris, said: “Music in its nature is very powerful; very humane. How beautiful would it be to not just touch souls with my music, but to help restore the gift of sight through the Postcard Initiative.”
Budreya Faisal, an Emirati designer and founder of the label Bleach, said she wished there were more initiatives like this one.
“Life sometimes gets in your own way that you forget to really do something for those truly in need,” Budreya said. “And this initiative is a beautifully creative way to do just that and spread the word on the efforts made in restoring sight.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
