Sanskriti Tandon
Hailing from India, Sanskriti has been living in Qatar since 2009 and she has been in the hubbub of the constant‘ shifting and shaping’ of the nation so that it can fulfill the needs and requirements of the people.“ I have truly enjoyed living here and it upsets me to know I only have two years left in this beautiful country before I move on to university.” An inspirational character, Sanskriti by nature is helpful and supportive especially if it means being able to motivate and inspire peers to acquire leadership.
“ I have truly enjoyed living in Qatar and it upsets me to know I have only two years left in this beautiful country before I move on to university”
“ This country has not only given me a home to live in, it has helped me grow in ways I never thought possible.” She is grateful to this second home as it helped her discover her strengths, work on her weaknesses and …” meet people along the way who helped me to grow and become who I am today.”
For this young girl who is at the cusp of womanhood, life is one big roller-coaster and she will continue to enjoy every ride she takes.
Sandev Ferdinando
A senior at Park House English School in Qatar, Sandev is a praise-worthy youngster who worked his way up the ladder to become an impressive leader among peers. From the island-home of Sri Lanka, Sandev has lived his entire childhood and adolescents in Qatar and is fascinated by the fact that people can relate to and discuss regional and international issues-something that is not offered in my home country. A member of this year’ s organizing committee of the largest Model United Nations conference in the Middle East, The Hague International Model UN( THIMUN) Qatar, which had over 2000 participants, he says that Qatar has paved
the way for him to make new acquaintances, locally and internationally and he owes the development of his gentle yet laudable personality to these relationships he has made down the years.“ Respect, mutual understanding and a sense of how fortunate I am for being able to live here are a few other ways in which I’ ve developed.”
In his words, young people in Qatar are of the opinion that here is a‘ perfect society’ which is an untruth that“… hinders the growth of young people …” However he adds that with time and maturity, they begin to see“… beyond the visage of ultimate wealth …” realizing that Qatar too is faced with numerous and endless challenges in comparison to most other countries. Sandev appreciates the involvement of schools in creating a plethora of opportunities for students to obtain experience working for NGO’ s, local charities, enrolling in volunteer and online programmes initiated by renowned universities in Qatar. A student leader who has carved a niche for himself among peers of different communities Sandev notes that one should‘ walk in the direction of your fears.’ He believes that everything is temporary including the stay in Qatar however he strongly believes that every day in this‘ home’ should be made memorable as“… you will carry these experiences with you for the rest of your life.”
Jeanine Motha
A 15-year-old girl full of wit and spirit en- joys the best of two worlds; she is Indian / Sri Lankan. A student of Stafford Sri Lankan School Doha, Qatar has been her home since 2009.“ What I love about Qatar is that you have so many people gathered here in this one country, not just one but different nationalities.” She added that being an expat in this country has bestowed her with innumerable opportunities to meet people from diverse cultural backgrounds and savour new experiences;“ I’ m a member of the multi-cultural Doha Youth choir and two years ago I met this girl who is now one of my best friends. We found so many similarities that we did not expect when we first met each other because she is really shy and I’ m more outgoing. If I had not come to Qatar, I don’ t think I would have met such people.”
An avid reader, Jeanine noted that the educational opportunities that are available in Qatar, starting from her current alma mater, are vast and invaluable. She has already attended a Model United Nations Conference and concerts and feels that this nation gives pride of place to education which is a precious investment any parent would make. Further explaining her experiences, she stated that it is not only attending concerts and sports but also being part of them that add vibrancy to her life.“ We considered moving to Australia for a while and I was really upset because I would have to leave all my friends and all the friendships I have grown these past years. But then when I was told we are not moving I was really happy because the friendships you make last for a lifetime and they are closer than the friendships I have back home which are very few.” Amongst the range of opportunities Jeanine has received, she cherishes the day she published her first novel:“ Two years ago I published a book titled The Breakaway Sisters. It was a difficult time for me but I overcame the challenges thanks to my teachers and friends here in Qatar.” For Jeanine it is all about savouring every moment of every challenge and so she says to all youngsters,“ Go out there and make a difference!” www. society. qa 27