Big Heart heeds voices of countless women: Director

Social change is possible, according to an Emirati who grew up in a family and an environment where selflessness has been cultivated.

The Emirati is Alya Obaid Al Musaiebi, the Director of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), the chairperson of which is Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.

The Communication and Media Sciences, and Strategic Leadership graduate defined social change as the “restoration of the power of choice to those who have it taken away.”

“The choice to feel safe, to access knowledge, and to build a future with dignity which is possible because change begins with courage,” added Al Musaiebi, interviewed for the August 28 “Emirati Women’s Day.”

She expounded: “The courage of a girl who dares to learn, of a refugee who still dreams, of a leader who listens before acting; because change is not static. Change does not begin in conference rooms. It grows with the people it serves.”

“Social change is possible because empathy leads, when systems evolve, and when we centre humanity in every policy and every partnership,” added Al Musaiebi, in the humanitarian service since 2015.

She gravitated towards the TBHF because of her desire to be in a workplace where “service is sincere, stories are sacred, and leadership is human.”

According to the website of the TBHF, Sheikha Jawaher inaugurated this non-profit charitable trust in 2013 as a “fundraising campaign.” It transformed into a “full-fledged foundation” in two years, towards “a world where the vulnerable are protected and empowered to live with dignity.”

Operational in at least 30 countries, among the five million beneficiaries, so far, are 140,000 Rohingya refugees at the Kutatupalong Camp in Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh; the 70,000 Palestinians temporarily sheltered in Jordan; including Marjan and Nigok from Pakistan and Kenya, respectively.

TBHF reaches out through the sectors of education, livelihood, protection, emergency relief, healthcare, and infrastructure.

“The Big Heart Foundation is not just where I work. We carry the voices of countless women and children with us. Their strength, grief and hope. It is where my values found their voice. From Sharjah to the world, it showed me that empathy does not stop at borders; it scales, it builds, it transforms lives across continents,” said Al Musaiebi.

Most inspiring parents

That brought this only girl with “three supportive brothers and the kindest, most inspiring parents” back to her youth: “That experience taught me strength, empathy, and the value of showing up for others. Lessons that continue to shape the way I lead and serve today.”

Instrumental is her education: “These gave me the tools to tell stories that matter and to build strategies that move people and systems forward. What grounds me most is staying close to people. Listening deeply, building trust and with communities, not just for them.”

Pillars as well are role models, Father of the United Arab Emirates, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sheikha Jawaher.

It was Sheikh Zayed’s “unwavering commitment to humanitarian work which Al Musaiebi described as “principle,” that “became a guiding light for me from an early age.”

Of Sheikha Jawaher: “Her leadership is rare. Quiet yet transformative, generous without show, and deeply rooted in humanity. She leads with grace, strength, and a fierce dedication to dignity and justice.”

“Her Highness leads not by command, but by conviction. To carry her trust means holding yourself to a higher moral code where every decision is weighed by its impact on lives, not headlines. This trust is also a testament to the UAE’s leadership, where empowering Emirati women is not just symbolic, but strategic; placing them at the forefront of global humanitarian work with confidence and clarity,” replied Al Musaiebi, in connection with her being the TBHF in-charge since March 1, 2025.

Included in her 12-month plan is “building resilient systems in education, child protection, and livelihoods while embedding localization, accountability, and trust at the core of every intervention.”

Proud of her heritage where the women are mirrors of “strength with grace,” Al Musaiebe said: “The Emirati woman rises across all fields. But, it is in the humanitarian aspect that our compassion leaves its deepest mark.”