My name is Hessa Al-Rashed from Kuwait, and I am 31 years old. I live by the quote “You are one and one is many.” I always like to reflect on this as I go through life. A single person, in your opinion, might not be very significant and can only do so much, but one person is in fact able to create change, with Allah’s help. From the smallest matters in life to the more complex, you can accomplish anything with the sincerity of seeking help from Him and His power. This brings us to our social project, Wednesday's Diwaniya (gathering).
In Kuwait, and some other Arab countries, a ‘Diwaniyah’ is a weekly social gathering usually held by men in a large reception room at home - anyone can host the gathering. It’s very popular and the gatherings are full of stories and interesting topics. Wednesday Diwaniyah is a womens’ youth community project, where a group of us meet over coffee and host an inspiring female figure each week, someone we can learn from and enjoy talking with. The gathering is usually on a weekday and is around 2 hours long. In the winter, it’s a morning meeting and in the humid summer season we meet in the evenings.
This simple idea started with me and my friends meeting every week over coffee and deciding to share topics we love talking about. We began these coffee meetings as two friends, then 20 friends who met every week for 3 years, and suddenly, without prior planning, we are now 150 girls!
To imagine that one day it will turn into a community project that will branch out into 8 countries never came to our mind, alhamdulilah! The idea grew and won the admiration of many. It is simple and does not exceed a two hours meeting per week, but it’s enriching, with a beautiful company and enjoyable. The idea was born in Kuwait, and suddenly branched out and reached Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Britain, Jordan and finally Oman.
As everything in life, there are challenges. One of them is that the Diwaniyah is a project, and so there is a team of us that requires us to work on it consistently. Starting from choosing the right guests who align with our values and principles, then securing public venues and cafes that are sufficient for 150 people, or registration and its challenges and how we try to diversify the audience and reach the largest segment. These are all great learning experiences, so alhamdulillah for all that we have gone through. When a person sees the impact of the good that they do life, this is the greatest motivation to continue. Be good, do good and you’ll see good.
