‘Q8 Needs You’ Up to 50 refugees UEFA puts spotlight found dead in Champions on Kuwait4 issues lorry10 in Austria League46 draw Min 33º Max 49º FREE www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 16623- Friday, August 28, 2015 New Weapons Cache Found Page 9 Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015 Local Spotlight A day in the life of a public employee Don’t let it spoil! A model civil servant By Muna Al-Fuzai [email protected] “Once, a patron came to the Passports and Nationality Department to get his passport, which wasn’t ready yet. When I told n expat friend asked me about the “Let it him so, he got angry and started yelling, saying he wants to travel, Spoil” campaign. He read about it in the although it wasn’t my fault and I couldn’t help him.” Apaper and wondered what I think about it. I immediately said, “Don’t let it spoil!” Sorry to say, but such events give the world an idea how we Arabs are setting our priorities today - the stomach first, By Nawara Fattahova ing a law degree and hopes to grow in her chosen field. the brain second! “After graduating from the Police Academy, I was appoint- While the world is watching with anxiety the KUWAIT: Public employees have a bad reputation in ed to this job which suits my degree. Currently I’m study- crazy fall in oil prices and is setting new rules to con- Kuwait. They are often viewed (by locals and expats alike) ing law and after graduation, I may transfer to another job front corruption and regulating the life of inhabi- as lazy, incompetent or worse, corrupt. But not all reflect that will suit my new, higher education,” Sarah explained. tants, we are making a fuss due to the increase of the negative stereotypes. Instead, there are many hard- Though she has plans of transferring to another job, prices of some kinds of fish. No one is asking who is working, ambition civil servants who are dedicated to their Sarah shared her fondness for her work and her col- behind this increase and its reasons. All we want is jobs and who perform all the required tasks in a timely leagues. “I like my work and enjoy doing it, especially prices to drop so we can fill our bellies. manner and with a positive attitude. because of the group that I’m work- The way I see this matter is that I don’t have to eat Kuwait Times spoke with one such ing with. In general I’m satisfied, yet I salmon if I can’t afford to buy it. I am sure there are civil servant, a young woman with like to grow and improve my career,” many other kinds of fish one can afford to buy high ambitions and a sunny disposi- Sarah revealed. whose prices have not changed or increased. Some tion. Sarah Al Rashid is a civilian At work, Sarah always meets peo- people like caviar and they can afford to buy it. employee at the Ministry of Interior ple and different situations happen. Some cannot, but I have not seen a campaign to (MOI). She is responsible for issuing She shares one of the funny situa- boycott caviar because of its steep price. certificates and letters for Interior tions she experienced: “Once, a Food in Kuwait is expensive in general, and there Ministry employees, both civilian and patron came to the Passports and is nothing cheap when it comes to fresh foods, espe- uniformed and handles dozens of Nationality Department to get his cially fish and meat, and for more than a year, some requests each week. passport, which wasn’t ready yet. types of local fish are too expensive. For example, Sarah starts her work day at 8:00 When I told him so, he got angry and balol prices have increased to KD 10 per kilogram, am and stays at the office until 2:00 started yelling, saying he wants to pm; rarely ever leaving earlier. “Once travel, although it wasn’t my fault I reach the office, I start my work and I couldn’t help him.” with a cup of coffee. Then I’m ready “I also got mad and when I’m mad, The fishermen insist that the hike in to welcome the patrons who come I smile. He didn’t like it, so he threw prices of fish is due to the strict proce- to be issued different certificates; I’m water on me, leaving me wet,” she dures implemented by the coastguard never free as I always have work to recalled. do,” Sarah told the Kuwait Times. Sarah Al Rashid Sarah doesn’t remember facing and other authorities in monitoring fish- “If there are no patrons waiting, I any serious problems or conflicts at ing boats that number 80 in total, which don’t play games on my mobile or chat with my col- her work and is satisfied in general. Her colleagues helped has reduced the availability of fish in the leagues. In my free time, I help in the volunteer groups her when she first joined and she now helps the new that I’m a member of. I make my time busy, not the other employees. “I finish my work and leave happy. The most market to a large extent. way around,” she said. important thing about work is to like it and I do, so I’m Sarah took up this role in 2008 but is working on earn- happy and I don’t complain,” Sarah concluded. subaiti KD 8 per kilo and hammour KD 7.5 per kilo- gram. No one said a thing, yet suddenly this issue is Photo of the day occupying headlines. Let’s go in-depth and look at the reasons that need a solution. The fishermen insist that the hike in prices of fish is due to the strict procedures imple- mented by the coastguard and other authorities in monitoring fishing boats that number 80 in total, which has reduced the availability of fish in the mar- ket to a large extent. Some claim the reduced num- ber of fishermen and difficulty in bringing fishermen from overseas and providing them with residency permits are some of the other reasons for the hike in the prices of fish. Another reason is the hike in the rent of the stalls selling fish. These are major obstacles that require a solution and many official parties are involved here, includ- ing the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Interior, Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources, Kuwait Fishermen Union and possibly many others. Unless all these parties get together and come up with a plan, this campaign will be a partial success for a short time. I support the idea of community members hold- ing social campaigns to call for reforms, combating corruption and community service in general, but this campaign will lead to a temporary solution and an artificial drop in prices, which will not last long. KUWAIT: A girl with sweets waits near the shore for the young divers as they return from their pearl diving jour- This is why I say don’t let it spoil... ney. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Local FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015 ‘Q8 Needs You’ campaign puts spotlight on Kuwait issues Everyone can help make Kuwait a better place by sharing pictures and videos of problems in the services and facilities of government agencies and associations whether it is about cleanliness, traffic issues or humanitarian issues. By Faten Omar e can tell a lot about a country from the condition of its streets, buildings and services, how well main- Wtained they are, how well painted and signed. The streets tell a story about the economics, politics and cul- ture of the country. Streets with countless pockmarks, streets flooded by open sewage or littered with broken sidewalks, not to mention dilapidated signboards, especially in the lower income expatriate areas, read of poverty, neglect and lack of community. Without a word, it tells visitors that the area is not looked after by the neighborhood itself nor by the govern- ment. This is the reason why four years ago, a group of volunteer citizens and residents started ‘Q8 Needs You’ and decided to turn Kuwait into a better place. Kuwait needs you Abdullah Al-Shammari is the one in charge of the ‘Q8 Needs You’ campaign. He sat down with Kuwait Times to talk about his campaign and his goals and vision for a better Kuwait. “Many citizens and expats are working together in the cam- paign,” said the 33-year-old Shammari. “With the exception of our group that founded the campaign, we have more than 10,000 followers who are volunteering and helping us [in the campaign],” he said. Call for action The non-profit campaign tries to encourage citizens and res- idents to contribute to the service of Kuwait and to aspire to monitor the negative phenomena and manifestations in the community and highlight them until they are solved and reduced. Shammari remarked their vision is that everyone can help make Kuwait a better place by sharing pictures and videos of problems or defects in the services and facilities of government agencies and associations whether it is about cleanliness, traf- fic issues or humanitarian issues. “Q8 Needs You allows everyone to report issues with public services. The way it works is very simple: you snap a photo of the problem, specify what the issue is, along with its location, and then send it,” he said.