2020 has not been easy for any one of us. The raging pandemic introduced the world to uncertainty, confusion, fear, and loss of many things, especially that of a normal life. While everyone bore the brunt of these troubled days, the year hit some of the people more profusely than the others. And during these tough times, more examples of resilience and bravery have come to surface.
One such example is Sana Mohsin, a businesswoman, a supermom and super wife. She is an example for every woman out there. Life has thrown many troubles in her way, but she braved everything through her resolve and positive approach on life.
2020: A Portal to New World
2020 has pushed the world into an entirely different realm. But it became even more challenging for Sana. Just like everyone else, she had set some goals for this year. One plan was to start her own company. She was already working as a freelancer event planner, but now she wanted to launch her own setup. Two months into her newly launched company, and the lockdown was announced. She had to shut down her business temporarily, but she was hopeful that things would get better soon.
Things did improve after Eid, as Dubai had contained the spread of virus to some extent. Suddenly, her husband got ill and had to be hospitalized. “It was a very difficult time for me. The major support you can get comes from your husband.” So, it was tough time for her. Then her daughter had to undergo a surgery and she was bedridden. Her bedrest and physiotherapies continued.
The major challenge facing Sana was to manage finances. From expenses on medicines and treatment to paying the bills, a lot needed to be dealt with.
“I think my decision to start business this year was good. I strived to support my husband and daughter both physically and emotionally. But I had to support my family financially as well and I doubled my efforts there as well. It took time, but Alhamdulillah, things are on the right track now. My husband’s health is improving and my business is growing as well.”
Experience As a Hijabi
We are living in an age where the concept of personal boundaries and privacy is diminishing slowly. We take it on ourselves to judge and comment on every action taken by someone. The situation is further aggravated by the use of social media. One might think that being a conservative society, only women with modern attire get snide remarks on their personal choices on social media. But this is not the case. Women who prefer to cover themselves and take hijab are equally the victim of judgement and criticism.
“I have faced judgement and bullying in Pakistan. People have bullied me a lot. I hail from a liberal family. During college, I got inspired from my friend and started taking hijab.”
Sana says that the major opposition she faced on her decision to take hijab was from her family. “My own family segregated me. They didn’t like to be around me. There came a time when I became totally antisocial. I wouldn’t go to family gatherings anymore. I had stooped meeting with my friends. For I knew I will have to cry after returning from these gatherings.”
She recalls that people would ask her to abandon pardah. They would ask her if there is some issue with her face due to which she has to cover it. “Interestingly, life is easier in Dubai for people who observe Pardah. Even though I have a large social circle, but I have not faced any judgement here. People do not bully here mainly because such things are crime here and one can report them. Apart from that, there is a safe environment here for women. Moreover, there are separate spaces for gents and ladies, as well as mixed. People are free to choose.”
According to Sana, if she stops taking hijab because of what the world thinks, she can never become a strong woman. “Strong people change the world through their decisions. Weak people change their decisions because of the world.”
The whole conversation of Sana with Neelam Aslam can be viewed here
Her little startup Beyond The Dream Services is flourishing now. Here is a link its Instagram page
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