By Raynald C Rivera I The Peninsula
DOHA: A polyglot with a heart of gold, Jafar Abdulhamid is a Filipino resident who has made his mark at a young age in the wider community through his commendable volunteer work coupled with remarkable fluency in Arabic language.
Not surprising though, for a person who has a penchant and passion for language learning.
Born in Marawi City in the Philippines, Jafar spent his childhood in several cities including Marawi, Cagayan de Oro and Cotabato where he learned five local languages which are Maranao, Visayan, Filipino, Maguindanaon and Iranon.
At the age of 14, he moved to Qatar after receiving a full scholarship from the Qatari government to study at Preliminary and Secondary Religious Institute for Boys in Doha.
“I came here in 2003 to study mainly Arabic language in a government school along with other scholars from more than 40 countries. It was not hard for me to learn and speak Arabic because language is really my interest,” he told The Peninsula.
Considered one of the fastest learners in his class, he made an impression in his teachers having learned to speak Arabic in just three months and his knowledge of the language has impressed locals and other native speakers.
“Native speakers that I meet are pleasantly surprised when they discover that I’m fluent in Arabic. Some even say I’m better than them in grammar,” he said.
In 2010, he received another full scholarship, this time from Qatar University (QU) where he was recognized with a number of awards finally earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance in 2015.
More than his achievements, what makes Jafar admirable is that he uses his knowledge and fluency in the language to hone young minds as well as help those in need.
With a passion in teaching, he was fortunate to be one of the 20 selected QU students who were sent to Indonesia to impart their knowledge in Arabic, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Computer and Sports to students in the poor regions of the Southeast Asian country. In addition, during his vacations in the Philippines, he would spend most of his time teaching Arabic, Mathematics and other Islamic subjects. Currently, he is a volunteer Arabic Proficiency lecturer at Philippine Integrated Institute Qatar in Doha.
“Being fluent in Arabic helps me a lot. Everything becomes easy because of my fluency in Arabic and I help many people in the Filipino community. For instance, I translate for free for those who need it,” he said.
Jafar has also been a very active volunteer being affiliated with many organizations. Presently, he is vice-president of the Philippine Muslim Federation, Asian community committee member at the Qatar Football Association, board member of Almuwasat Charity, representative of the Filipino community at Qatar Red Crescent and Qatar Charity and honorary cultural ambassador at Qatar Museums.
“I’m happy as a volunteer. It gives me joy whenever I see that people that I help are happy. If the spirit of volunteerism is in your heart, you will really devote time for it because you want to extend help to people in need,” he said.
He considers Qatar as his second home having lived here for 15 years and he sees himself staying here long term.
“I love Qatar because having spent most years of my life here, I have gotten used to the culture and gained many friends. It is here where I grew up and my personality developed. It is my second home, a happy and safe home,” he said.
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