Uzma and Zobair are a hearing impaired couple. They were born with similar disability, it was this that bought them together in an arranged marriage and it is this that has created a beautiful bonding between them that is envied by many couples struggling with compatibility issues. While Zobair is a graphic designer, Uzma has cultivated her passion of needle work into a business venture and specializes in exquisite quilted pieces. While Zobair is employed at a educational institute, he also helps Uzma in designing her quilting pieces aesthetically.
Sabha Ansari, her Dubai-based sister-in-law, has been Uzma’s inspiration and she has always looked up to her for advise and learned quilting from her.
“Uzma always had a deep passion for sewing, her needle works was very neat. She did do a fashion designing course but she always wanted to learn quilting. I helped her to learn quilting, and she picked up very fast, says Sabha, who is part of Dubai’s leading quilting club. In Dubai, quilting is a much loved craft and lots of competitions are organized to promote it.
Proudly displaying her ‘Uzma Makes it logo’, Uzma explained through gestures that the credit for making it goes to her husband. She is all praise for her parents who during her upbringing never made her feel that she had anything that would limit her abilities of growth and development. She was treated as par with her other three siblings. Uzma did go initially to a special school for hearing -impaired but for her secondary and graduation she was part of schools meant for normal children. Her parents always gave her the extra attention that she required and she was lucky to be married into a household where they already understood her and treated her with love. Married for five years she has been allowed to live her life, choose her work options and indulge in making her needle work and later quilting pieces first for the household and friends and later as business.
For Uzma quilting is a relaxing and soothing experience and she is transformed into a world of her won when she is creating this. The tea cosy, runners, quilts, tableware etc, all carry her stamp of blissful commitment, she enjoys creating perfect pieces and kid of rubs off any imperfections that will come in way of the perfectness of these pieces. Each piece is crafted with love and hard work. Adore her for her simple and loving nature.
“We wanted a daughter-in-law who could understand my son and be a true companion, Uzma is the daughter-in-law I was looking for,” said her mother in law.
Happy at the recognition her daughter is getting at her in laws places and the recognition her work is bringing her, Uzma’s mother, Mrs Parveen Siddiqui, said in an emotional voice
“Allah is great. Woh sub ki suntan hain, (God is great he hears everyone’s prayers). She said that for a mother all children are special but a child with a disability is the closest to a mother’s heart.
Uzma was born with hearing disability but seems god had different plans for her and with focused attention and lots of hard work and family support she has proved that you can make it. Seems her business logo ‘Uzma makes it’ is a declaration that she has finally arrived, she has fought the obstacles and emerged a winner. A big applause for her indomitable spirit of survival and of emerging as a winner. A true inspiration.
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