Community reporting, a grassroots drive

Winners selected for the month of October

We felt it was time to give the winners more of a voice. So we are changing the format of the page a bit. We hope you like it, and it will encourage many more to join in the grassroots movement that is Gulf News community reporting.

The Your Turn pages give and have given thousands of UAE residents a place to be part of an active change that benefits communities, because we have the greatest respect and admiration for those who plant trees whose shade they might or might not enjoy.

Shobhika Kalra

Published on October 28 Shobhika Kalra, a 27-year-old Indian national based in Dubai, tried to raise awareness about the need for ramps around Dubai through her report. At the young age of 13 years, she was diagnosed with Friedreich Ataxia, a degenerative disorder that affects the nervous system. During a visit to India in 2014, she went to see a movie with her sister at a popular cinema chain. However, there was no ramp to reach her seat and people had to carry her to it. This incident proved to be a turning point in her life.

Coming to the winners for October, first place goes to Shobhika Kalra for the report, “More awareness needed for wheelchair accessibility”, published on October 28. She talks about the need to make our cities more available to people with limited mobility.

Second place goes to Charvi Khandelwal for her report, “Lack of signals hampers pedestrians from crossing street”, published on October 25. She has raised an issue faced by many readers — pedestrian crossings without signals on busy streets. Perhaps there is a clear reason in urban planning for this and is not an oversight. But as the population increases, these crossings need to be reevaluated by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Third place goes to Varghese John for Today, 14 years later, she is fighting for her rights and for others who are wheelchair bound, just like her, through her social initiative Wings of Angelz. She said: “The biggest issue related to improving wheelchair accessibility is the lack of awareness. It is very helpful to get messages across to a lot of people through community reports as is widely read. You can deal with the root of the problem.” After her report was published, Kalra says her group received a lot of positive feedback from readers. Since she began her mission, Wings of Angelz has his report, “Issues faced in International City need to be resolved at the earliest”, published on October 19. He raises several problems, especially the misuse of civic amenities in the area and the lack of sufficient parking.

As the population density of the area increases, so does the fight for space. The matter was escalated with the property developer and they have promised to address the issues.

We cannot wait for someone else to solve our problems — we have to seize the day, the moment and do the right thing. So, be a Gulf News community reporter— be the change. You can contact us on readers@gulfnews.com or call on 04 4067666. been quite successful. In the past three years, over 700 ramps have been built at different locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Their list of successes include banks, restaurants, cafes and other retailers. Through this initiative, Kalra doesn’t just hope to make accessibility for those in wheelchairs easier, but also hopes to show that being in a wheelchair shouldn’t stop you from living. She said: “I’m currently working as a psychologist, run a beauty blog and lead the social initiative. The journey has been difficult, but with the help of my family and friends, I have managed to get this far.”