Kuwait: Activity Filled Week  · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

It was an activity-filled week for Kuwaiti bloggers, who spent time in a shooting range, doing charity work and weighing their options for the parliamentary elections later this month.
Yousef over at somecontrast writes about his visit to the shooting range – one of the many attractions in Kuwait.
I went yesterday to the Mayadeen shooting range with my friend. It was my first time in Kuwait, I went once in Dubai and I loved it over there. In Dubai I used shotguns which made quite an impression on me.. and my shoulder.
From the shooting range, we move to a touching project, led by a group of Kuwaiti girls called We Care, which also maintains a blog, describing their many activities. Their latest is a visit to a nursing home, where they went laden with gifts and food.
According to the blog [Ar]:
الاسبوعين اللي طافوا كنا نستعد لهذا اليوم .. هاليوم كان غير عن اللي قدموه we care .. بما انه طموحنا نهتم بكل فئات المجتمع .. هاليوم كان رحلة الى دار المسنين ..رايحين نقابل 18 مسنه فقط .. اهم اللي حالاتهم النفسيه والمرضيه تسمح لهم يقابلون الناس ويسولفون .. الباجي مو اجتماعيين او المرض يمنعهم.
Because our hopes is to cover all sectors of society, today we paid a visit to the Elderly Centre, where we will be meeting with 18 women, who are in a condition to meet people and chat. The rest were not sociable or were sick. We spent the previous two weeks at We Care preparing for this day, which
was different from any other.
At the centre, the blogger describes how touched the volunteers were:
عقب قعدنا وياهم نسولف ونصب لهم جاي وقهوه ..
ماخش عنكم قلبي عورني وكنت احاول امسك روحي كثر ماقدر.. وايد من القروب يطلعون بره ويردون يدشون بس عشان مايبين عليهم الحزن.. ما ننلام والله..
قعدت ويانا وحده كنا نسولف سوالف عاديه ونضحك وياهم مانبي نعرف منو يابهم والا شحقه وليش نبيهم ينسون.. هالمواضيع ماتستاهل تنفتح علشان ما نضيق خلقهم ويضيق خلقنا.. بدون مايتكلمون و خنقتنا العبره شلون لو تكلموا!؟
قعدنا مع وحده نسألها مرتاحه مستانسه وشسمج .. سوالف عاديه بنص الحجي قالت انا اخواني ماشوفهم كلش وخواتي مايزوروني بس ساعات يزوروني الخميس وكله يقولون لي بناخذج وويروحون ويخلوني وغطت روحها بالملفع و قامت تبجـي… انا عن نفسي قمت ماقدرت .. موقف صج يحس الواحد مو بس يأثر ييجرح يخليك تحلف مليون مره لو شنو ماكانوا امك وابوك جاسيين ماتقطهم هالقطه .. تحس بنعمه ما فكرت تحس فيها من قبل…
We sat, chatting with them, and pouring tea and coffee for them. I won't hide from you how much my heart hurt and how I was trying hard to hold myself but I couldn't. Many members of the group used to excuse themselves and go out, just so that they don't show their emotions and sadness. They cannot be blamed really. One of the women was chatting to us, talking about everyday matters and laughing. We didn't ask them who brought them to the centre and why, because we wanted them to forget. These are topics which shouldn't be opened so that we don't bother them and ourselves. Without them saying anything, we were choked by our tears. What would happen if they spoke?!
We asked one of the women whether she was satisfied and happy and her name. She spoke normally to us and then said that she doesn't see her brothers and that her sisters rarely visit her, sometimes on Thursdays, where they would promise her to return her home with them before leaving without her. She covered her face and started to sob. I couldn't take it and had to leave. It was a difficult situation which really hurt and made you think that however cruel your parents were, you would never throw them out like this. You feel a blessing you have never felt before.
When it came for the volunteers to leave, the blogger writes:
يت حزة الروحه وانا اسلم على اللي نادتني قتلها استانستي؟ قالت وايد قتلها تبين نزورج بعد؟ قالت تعالوا كل يوم ابيكم اتزوروني احبكم انا! …شوفوا شلون قلوبهم بيضه وصافيه ويحبون اي احد يحسون انه اهتم فيهم حتى لو ساعه…
While saying our goodbyes, one of the elderly women called me towards her. I asked her if she was happy. She said she was very happy. I asked her if she wanted us to visit her again. She said: “Come everyday. I want you to visit me. I love you!” .. See how kind-hearted they are and how they love anyone, even those who took care of them for one hour.
Away from the centre, Bu Maryoom, over at 5-q8 writes about female candidates running for the elections.
Photocredit: somecontrast