For independent working females in UAE, staying away from family comes with its baggage of challenges
The sun sets over the Dubai skyline with Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, seen in the centre. Agence France-Presse
Saratu Abubakar, Staff Reporter
Coming of age means different things to people, however, one thing that ties it all is independence. For a lot of young adults, achieving independence is a dream coming true.
For Omnia Al Saleh and Yusrah Akintunde, the journey might have just begun, but they have learnt a lot and the experience has helped in shaping them.
Twenty-one and on the journey of telling stories as a journalist, Al Saleh is a producer and a presenter at Pulse 95 Radio.
She described her transition from a student to an independent adult as difficult. “So in my head, it wasn’t something I had to do but I chose to do.”
Akintunde’s experience was not far off from Al-Saleh.
She is a 24-year-old architect and urban designer at Parsons.
The transition has made Akintunde evolve. “It has not been the easiest, I have been forced to grow up a bit faster than I will like to,” she said.
No matter how much one is used to being away from their loved ones, there are moments when one longs to be around them.
Despite studying for five years in the UAE and working for 16 months, Akintunde still feels lonely from time to time.
“Dubai has a way of making me feel like a stranger,” she confessed with a laugh.
“There are some days I go back to my apartment and I am like, uhmm, it will be nice to have my sister here or going home and just wishing my mom will make me dinner,” she added.
Al Saleh has been working for 12 months. According to her, she got homesick a lot when she was just working. But having to juggle work and school now, she has less time to get homesick.
“There are moments when homesickness hits you hard. Especially when things go wrong, because one thing that kind of looks familiar and feels safe is home,” she said.
Radical shift
Going from being dependent to fending for yourself is a huge change, especially when you have little knowledge on how to manage finances.
The biggest struggle for Akintunde in terms of finances is finding a balance between enjoying a quality life and saving.
“It is like oh my God, you have all this money, so it is a bit tempting. It takes a level of responsibility not to squander all my money,” she said.
Al Saleh’s relationship with her mother has helped her in managing her finances.
“I am grateful I have very supportive parents, who are willing to help me out, until I can stand on my feet,” she said. The beginning of a new phase always comes with obstacles. Sometimes even doing the things you love doesn’t stop you from having doubts and thinking of giving up.
According to Akintunde, “There are days when it is just really tough.… Some days I just feel like, O! Daddy where are you?”
For Al Saleh, the idea that she doesn’t need to do this, but wants to, had her thinking of giving up.
“There were so many moments where I felt like giving up and going back to the comfort of being provided for,” she said.
With every growth in life comes changes. Being on the journey of carving a path for themselves by building strong careers, has shaped the personalities of these young women.
Al Saleh’s biggest lesson so far is learning to have more value for money.
“As much as you care about your parents’ money and as much as you value it, it is a completely different story when you are paying for everything out of pocket money,” she said.
Another lesson that has changed her mindset is having the habit of constantly being grateful for everything in life.
“You could have a very tough week but you still have those little moments, you look at your life and you are grateful you are having a tough moment. You are grateful that this is even a problem you need to worry about because the other alternative will be not having something that is worth working for,” she added.
Independence has forced Akintunde to grow faster than she would like. But it has also unclipped her wings and allowed her make her own choices.
“I can put my money where I like as opposed to having to convince them to believe in my dreams. It has helped me express myself and explore things I enjoy to do more,” she said.
