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How Hafsa Qader followed her heart to Special Olympics
And what she ’ s learned from her journey in MENA by Alexandra Nava-Baltimore
Hafsa Qadeer heard a whisper in her ear and followed it to Special Olympics . From Dubai , she currently works at one of the seven regional offices for Special Olympics as the Manager for Communications and Partnerships MENA , Middle East / North Africa .
Qadeer grew up with her mother and five siblings . Her younger brother Ahmed Qadeer is her role model from whom she learns and from his actions in life , she gains tremendous motivation . Hafsa recognized Ahmed as a Person of Determination , a title given to those who identify as a person with a disability in the United Arab Emirates , ( UAE ). Qadeer constantly considers what her brother would do and has watched his wisdom and gratitude for the people and places around him . Although younger than her , Qadeer continuously learns from him and feels " lucky " to be his sibling . " He ' s my drive and motivation behind everything that I ' ve committed my life to ," she said . After living in Pakistan until 18 , Qadeer moved to the UAE because she desired to learn and grow .
She said , " I feel like , in some communities , [ people ] have a very certain way and mindset of how women should choose to dream , how girls are told what they can and cannot dream about . And I ’ ve never had that mindset . I wanted to do something more with life and moved to the UAE to learn .”
Qadeer and her brother Ahmed Qadeer