Meet the UAE's first Unicef national ambassador

Emirati former para-athlete Majid Al Usaimi vows to champion children with disabilities

Majid Al Usaimi was named the UAE's first Unicef national ambassador. Antonie Robertson / The National

When Majid Al Usaimi was 2 years old, he contracted polio. The life-threatening disease left him disabled and reliant on a wheelchair to get around.

But even as a child, he did not let his difficulties hold him back.

He studied in mainstream schools in Dubai. Later, he worked as manager of Al Thiqah Club in Sharjah, a centre dedicated to hosting social and cultural events for disabled people.

His career continued with a stint as general secretary of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation, before he went on to spearhead the Asian Paralympics Committee.

In this role, he helped to organise the UAE’s participation in the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and London 2012.

Now, he has added another feather to his cap after being appointed the first United Nations Children’s Fund national ambassador for the UAE.

In a ceremony in Dubai on Monday, he accepted the role with pride and spoke of his determination to help society's most marginalised groups.

“Helping children [with disabilities] will be my priority because, when I was 2 years old, I got polio. I live with a disability, and the disability lives with me.

"My first priority will be for those children, because as I know, their challenges are much harder. But, of course, helping all children will be my aim.”

The pandemic has affected billions of children around the world and, for some, the effect will be lifelong because they will never regain the school days lost to the worldwide lockdowns.

According to Unicef, at least 463 million or 31 per cent of schoolchildren around the world cannot be reached by digital and broadcast remote learning programmes.

Mr Al Usaimi said this was a key concern for children in the region.

"I think it is scary. Education was one of the challenges for us – even before this pandemic. Imagine how difficult it must be now, without infrastructure, without virtual learning.

“The years are passing without education for those children, and who are they? They are the generation that will carry us forward.

“This role means I can guarantee we are giving the maximum effort to provide opportunities for those children."

In his new role, on behalf of Unicef, Mr Al Usaimi will help give children a voice and bring their needs to the attention of decision-makers.

He will also contribute to Unicef's advocacy and work to achieve children’s rights, a challenge he takes very personally,

“In some of the countries, they don't believe children with disabilities can do something," he said.

"I will show them myself. I will tell them, 'That's what your kids can be one day; either a champion, or a leader, or a someone.'

“I believe that God will not take something from you without giving you a gift. So every child has a gift. We need to discover this gift. We need to give them the confidence. We need to trust in their ability.

“Let's do some programmes, let's develop their skills, and you will see, a thousand Majid's in-front of you.

“I will not rest to achieve as much as I can in my period as Ambassador.”