Students create initiatives to support Dubai’s blue-collar workers

Radhika Prabhu and Jash Jain, Dubai-based students have turned their ideas into action as they have created two separate initiatives to help improve the lives of Dubai’s blue-collar workers.

Both mentored by university admissions experts, UniHawk, the pair decided to act upon the challenges they had witnessed firsthand, leading Radhika to build a platform connecting students and community members with meaningful volunteering opportunities, while Jash developed Thirst-E, a social enterprise initiative focused on making hydration more accessible to outdoor workers.

As a regular volunteer across Dubai’s blue-collar community for several years, Radhika observed recurring challenges around the awareness of volunteering opportunities, and the mobilisation of support for community programmes. At the same time, Radhika realised that many of her fellow students were actively looking for ways to give back, but did not know where to find legitimate, regular opportunities. Her response was to launch LabourLink, a platform that collates volunteering opportunities conducted by CDA-approved organisations across Dubai and provides volunteers with information on events and locations. It also helps students navigate the registration process and connect with organisers, creating a more accessible route into community service.

Since its launch last year, LabourLink has onboarded close to 300 volunteers, who have collectively contributed more than 3,000 hours of service, with more than 8,000 labourers directly benefiting from initiatives supported through the platform.

Talking to media, Radhika said, “Balancing school and managing LabourLink has been challenging yet rewarding. I’ve met so many students who are equally passionate about giving back, and I’ve also found a second family among volunteers and organisers.”

She credits UniHawk’s webinars, bootcamps and profile-building guidance with helping her turn an early interest in STEM and community service into a structured initiative. She explains, “UniHawk made me realise that universities don’t admit applications, they admit people. They helped me figure out who I really was, my genuine passions and the story that connects my academics, activities and ambitions.”

Jash created another solution, known as Thirst-E, addresses a different challenge among the blue collar community. “I noticed that delivery riders here are out in the heat for hours every day, wearing full-sleeve uniforms and often working with limited opportunities to escape the heat. I realised that water alone might not always be enough, and I started looking into how we could make hydration tablets more accessible.”

He researched the market, comparing products available through pharmacies and online retailers before working with a manufacturer in India to develop an affordable sachet-based solution. Thirst-E provides essential hydration for drivers, gardeners, and other outdoor community workers in individual sachets that can be added to water. The effervescent tablet is a careful blend of 4 key nutrients, including sodium, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium, with affordability and accessibility remaining at the heart of the concept.

“We have conducted pilots with organisations including 6th Street, providing 10,000 sachets to its rider team over a two-week trial and gathering feedback to refine the product. We are also exploring partnerships with companies employing large numbers of outdoor workers, positioning Thirst-E as both a worker-wellbeing initiative and a potential corporate social responsibility opportunity,” he added.

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