24 December 2015 www.womanthismonth.com PEOPLE | women 2015 THE PHILANTHROPIST Michelle Bailey is the founder of Feed the Need, the organisation responsible for fridges dotted across the island which volunteers fill with free food for the hungry. How long have you been in Bahrain, if not Bahraini? I’m an Australian, I arrived 11 years ago to Bahrain to work in consultancy and a month later met the man who would become my husband. What are the best things in the Kingdom from your point of view? The Bahraini people. Their friendliness and love of family reminds me of the small farming community I grew up in and it’s a wonderful place to raise children. Sharing family and food with others over dinner and hearing six different languages spoken but all unified by community and understanding warms my heart. How did you get started in your field? About 18 months ago a photo of a refrigerator placed outside a house in Riyadh to offer free food to the needy, went viral on social media. I shared the article and so many people here in Bahrain loved the idea. I said, ‘Lets do it!’ The name “Feed the Need” came instantly. Our seven-year-old daughter, Layla, donated all her savings to buy the first fridge and gave a talk to several hundred children in her school. We now have over 8,000 members on our Facebook group. There are currently 20 fridges with eight more planned before the end of the year. What do you like most about what you do? Getting the children involved and seeing their confidence and community awareness grow is an amazingly rewarding experience. We all want the best for our children; to grow to be caring, valuable adults and this project offers a vehicle to create future leaders, right here in Bahrain. Bahrain’s female residents are well represented in many different fields, from law to art, business and everything in between. To celebrate the awesome woman we all are, Woman this Month is ending 2015 with 12 amazing ladies from 12 distinctive areas. We asked them all the same questions to help you get to know them a little better! Ladies We Loved, 2015 Manar W Al-Rayes It’s a simple idea, give food to the hungry; 100 per cent of what’s given is received by someone in need. Many expat donors thank me for creating a vehicle enablng them to give. People have come from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain just to donate food and be part of this humanitarian project. Visiting grandparents have donated food and shared the idea with friends. What has been the high point of 2015? When Feed the Need won the GO-PEEP competition where people voted for their favourite charitable project. The prize was a short film that we can use when giving talks at schools and corporations. Also, the construction of our www.feedtheneedbahrain. com website and the launch of Feed the Need Saudi Arabia in November. Plans for 2016? I would love to start a Food Bank in Bahrain. It would be a non-profit organisation which acts as a pantry to the charities and community groups who feed the hungry. Supermarkets could donate stock close to its use-by date. A Food Bank would be a conduit between the food industry’s surplus food and the charity sector’s need. Obviously this is a huge project but with industry leaders behind us, nothing is impossible. Bahrain has a real ‘can do’ attitude to business and charity and this is the next step for us. Any tips for women wanting to follow in your footsteps? For those wanting to get involved in a project, I would say volunteer in your community! Be the example you want for your children, for your family and friends and help others where you can. Feed the Need and spread the love. Contact Michelle at mbailey@ feedtheneedbahrain.com or phone 39627883 THE BUSINESSWOMAN Manar W Al-Rayes is brand manager for jewellery giant Sharif Group, a Bahraini woman following in her father’s footsteps. • I am a born and bred Bahraini. • The best thing I find in our Kingdom is the simplicity and convenience of living. I am completely in love with our cultural and tourism landmarks that reflect the rich history of our island. • I started as the third generation in our business right after I completed my bachelor’s degree. • I love everything about my job, from marketing to taking care of the fashion jewellery department, I get to meet many people in our society and get introduced to the latest fashion trends around the world. • My highlight of 2015 would be the launch of the Roberto Cavalli by Franck Muller watches in Bahrain, it certainly added a lot of value and thrill to our portfolio. • My plans for 2016 would be to keep heading towards my goals and objectives and be better and stronger. I wish to introduce more exciting brands to the Bahraini market. • The tip I give out is to be committed and constantly inspired and to just love your job, it will make the journey a lot more fun. Michelle Bailey
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