Talal Al-Ghannam

Good morning dear and honorable brothers and sisters, and I wish all of you a happy Eid Al-Fitr to come. In this article, I would like to pretend that I had dreams over various issues in the Kuwaiti society and wish they would come true. There are so many wrongdoings taking place around us here that have not been probed or studied thoroughly. Instead, they are left unresolved; a matter that would make finding a solution a difficult task.

The first dream was that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor established a complaint center for people who want to complain against bad services from which expatriates usually suffer at some departments. The ministry was very efficient in receiving complaints from expatriates, and referred these complaints to the undersecretary. Stiff punishment has been imposed on violators, making the clients very satisfied. The ministry also set up a call center hotline for anyone who wants to inquire about his or her papers with a promise to resolve any difficulty within a 24-hour period. Furthermore, the ministry also extended the working hours of the concerned departments, including running afternoon shifts to ease the suffering of clients, in addition to the provision of tea and coffee for them with a big smile.

The second dream I had was that new domestic helpers who arrive in Kuwait are received with flowers and a big smile right at the entrance of the airport. Many bad sponsors changed their attitudes towards their workers and began assisting them in their daily chores with big smiles. From now on, the domestic workers' salaries will not be delayed or confiscated by some sponsors, as they know that Almighty Allah is watching and hearing every single word uttered, and sponsors are now becoming afraid of Allah's punishment. The sponsors who used to be bad earlier ask their domestic workers to do their duties with a big smile and a thank you. The domestic helpers now want to stay here forever as they feel relieved and satisfied due to the change of sponsors' attitudes towards them.

The third dream was that all drivers on the road are now starting to abide by the rules and regulations set for their safety. They are beginning to respect each other, especially the expats who drive small and cheap cars who now will not be run over by monster trucks driven by some maniacs. The signal given by a driver is now highly respected and the right of way is also appreciated. No one would flash his or her high beams on you from now on, and you can drive peacefully without being harassed by reckless drivers anymore. Horns will not be heard as well, and if your car breaks down suddenly at the traffic light, you will be assisted and not looked down at or be annoyed by ceremonial-like horns.

The fourth dream was related to parking in handicapped parking spaces. From now on, handicapped persons will enjoy parking their cars close to their destination without being annoyed or competed with. In European countries, occupying the handicapped parking spot is a crime punishable by law, whereas here, many irresponsible drivers pay no attention to the situation of handicapped persons, and force them to walk a long distance till they reach their destination. I hope one day I will wake up from this dream and all these wishes will come true.

Till the next article, in sha Allah.

By Talal Al-Ghannam

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