Dubai; Haifa Al Mazmi is a police officer who doesn’t shy away from challenges, especially when they involve bringing happiness to others. She’s someone who would travel thousands of miles just to see a child smile or work tirelessly to renovate a school, educate students, or buy them stationery and uniforms. For her, “humanity begins with giving”.
A Lieutenant in Dubai Police, Haifa joined Dubai Police in 2014, working in the General Department of Community Happiness within the Radio and TV Programmes Section. Her role involves monitoring and addressing complaints received through live broadcast programmes across the UAE. Her career with Dubai Police began as a First Corporal, and she gradually rose to the rank of Lieutenant while pursuing a degree in Sociology. Her studies deepened her understanding of human societies and fuelled her passion for connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.
“I’ve always had a natural inclination to communicate with people from different walks of life and to learn about various cultures,” she says. “That’s why I chose to study Sociology, which further ignited my desire to help those in need. I often thought about volunteering, but I wasn’t sure how to start.”
In 2019, while browsing social media, Haifa came across a group of university students visiting a poor village in Zanzibar. They highlighted the dire need to renovate the village school and called for volunteers to assist. Seizing the opportunity, she reached out to them, marking the beginning of her humanitarian journey.
“I approached my mother with my desire to volunteer in Zanzibar to help renovate a school in a poor village,” Al Mazmi recalls. “At first, she refused as she was worried about my safety, and she couldn’t bear the thought of me traveling alone. I assured her that seven other girls would be volunteering with me. After much persistence and discussion, she finally agreed.”
The first journey: Zanzibar
Haifa, along with a group of university students, travelled to Zanzibar, reaching a remote village by bus. “We stayed in a hostel, and every morning at 6 AM, a bus would take us to the village, about an hour away. Once there, we worked together to renovate the school, which was in a terrible state—some teachers even had to conduct classes under a tree,” she shares. “The work was exhausting, but all the effort was worth it when I saw the children’s eyes light up as they watched us from the schoolyard every morning.”
For two weeks, she and the students worked relentlessly, successfully restoring the school and bringing joy to the students, teachers, and villagers alike.
The second journey: Kenya
In August of the same year, the students proposed a new mission: Helping a village in Kenya where a school with just three classrooms was in desperate need of repair. The school lacked doors and windows, making it a haven for wild animals. Despite the difficulties of her first experience, Al Mazmi eagerly joined this new challenge.
“This time, I stayed in a tent for the first time in my life and worked for three weeks to renovate the school. I even spent Eid Al-Adha there, celebrating with the villagers and children, far away from my own family,” Haifa recalls. “The experience was even more fulfilling than the first, especially as we bonded with the children who watched our progress daily through the school windows.”
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Surprise encounter with COVID-19
Following the success of her second mission, Haifa embarked on her third volunteer trip, this time returning to Zanzibar to renovate another school. However, this journey took an unexpected turn when airports were suddenly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This time, our volunteer work lasted three weeks because of the airport closures,” she explains. “After completing the school renovation, we launched several initiatives to support the villagers, including raising funds to provide and distribute food to the schoolchildren. We also found a nearby tailor and purchased uniforms for the students. I’ll never forget the joy on their faces when they wore their school uniforms for the first time.”
The fourth journey: Nepal
In 2023, Haifa embarked on yet another volunteer mission, this time to Nepal. Alongside university students, she provided school supplies to children in a poor village, taught them English, and introduced them to Arab culture and the traditional Gulf attire.
All of Al Haifa’s volunteer efforts stemmed from her personal desire to help others, using her own vacation time to do so. “I found what I was searching for in these experiences with the students, and by God’s grace, I was able to assist those in need and engage in humanitarian work.”
Haifa believes that volunteering is a vital experience that everyone should consider. “It enriches a person’s character with values and principles and makes them appreciate the blessings of family, home, and country. It also teaches that true happiness comes from giving.”
