Indian woman wins over USD 3 mn in UAE raffle, says would use it for charity
Dubai: An Indian woman has won a whopping USD 3.2 million in the monthly raffle draw in the UAE and said that she wants to use a part of the money for underprivileged people, especially women, according to media reports on Friday.
Sopna Nair, who won Dh12 million in the Big Ticket Abu Dhabi raffle on Wednesday, said she also wishes to support her and her husband's family with the money.
"I want to support underprivileged people, especially women. I've always done small charitable projects in whatever way I could, now I have the financial freedom to do a lot more," she was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times.
Nair, who hails from Kerala, said that she and her family are still in a state of shock after hearing the news. I am still coming to terms with the news, its a lot to take in, Nair, who is based in Abu Dhabi for the last 9 years, told the Gulf News.
Nair said that her husband, who also hails from Kerala, was unaware that she had bought the ticket for the draw.
"I don't buy the ticket every time. This might have been the third or fourth time I got it. Honestly, we are still in shock because no one really assumes that they will win while buying it," she said.
"This time, I didn't tell my husband. And when we found out that we'd won, he was in shock as well," she added.
Nair, who has a five-year-old daughter, said that she will continue her job as a senior structural engineer in an Abu Dhabi firm after this development.
"This is the eighth year in this company, and I have such a big commitment to the firm. I really haven't had the time to process the news. My company has helped me immensely and I'm extremely indebted to them," Nair said.
"I've been so busy the whole day. I've been inundated with calls and messages, but I've not been able to speak to anyone because I've been so focused on work," she added.
The raffle draw is held at the Abu Dhabi International Airport every month. It is the UAE's largest and longest running raffle draw. The monthly event has become hugely popular due to its high winning returns, with participants including both residents and those living outside.
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Pakistan reports two more polio cases. Total tally now 52
ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.
The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.
Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.
