Fursa: Opportunity for Creativity, Experience, and Love
Opportunity is a beautiful thing. It can open doors to people and experiences which, up until that point, were strictly locked. When given the right opportunity, all kinds of creative forces, positive outlooks, and passionate ambitions can come together to make a real difference in the world.
And that is what Fursa is all about. Right down to the name, Fursa (Arabic for ‘chance’) is here to make opportunities happen for anyone who asks for them.
Now, speaking as someone who has always appreciated originality and cultural consideration, I have to start by telling you just how delighted I was when I stepped into this place. Almost every corner of this small, yet quaint boutique exploded with character and detail. Every where I looked, I’d find a new, whimsical surprise that was not only cool and quirky in its own way but, in many respects, paid homage to the Kuwaiti social and cultural tradition.
Its hipster, meets boho, meets couture all blended together with that unique, unmistakable Kuwaiti character.
But wait! What does that have to do with opportunity? (Of course, this is me channeling your inner thoughts back to you all Jedi-like)
You see, Fursa has provided this beautiful, one of a kind platform for local and international designers to sell their products FOR NOTHING. As in, they are providing a FREE service for promising individuals to showcase their work for all of Kuwait to see. The only time that the store actually makes any money off these unique products is when they receive a small fraction of the price once they are sold. Otherwise, Fursa opens its doors to any and all creative forces that deserve it for complete non-profit.
And its all in the name of chance, opportunity and, basically, ‘Fursa.’
Now, even if I was to stop right there this would definitely be enough of an example to show just how much love and compassion has gone into Fursa and the positive effort behind it.
But that’s not all.
Fursa also provides internships (Opportunity! Hello!) for young, enthusiastic Kuwaitis to both help give them some valuable experience and to give the local businesses the support they need and deserve. I had the pleasure of meeting a good handful of these energetic interns and, honestly, I was impressed by the stories they told me of their experiences. Bader Al-Yaseen, Abdulrahman Mezeal, and Abdulaziz Al-Ammar are just a few of these interns who are pictured in the slideshow below, all happy smiles and glowing positivity!
And, finally, Fursa provides yet another opportunity. The kind which is, to me, the most beautiful and precious of all: the ability to help and support the struggling battle which terminally ill children lead every single day.
At the entrance of the Fursa shop you will find the stairwell wall lined with paintings by child cancer patients, many of whom will never recover. This is the Donation Wall. It features and sells the paintings of these young cancer patients and 100% of the proceeds go towards the Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in order to support them (and the hundreds of children like them) in this unthinkable time.
I snagged that beautiful flower painting by two year old Remas who, unfortunately, is dealing with a terminal form of cancer. Thanks to Fursa she’s been given the opportunity for love and support and, through Fursa, I was able to give her the exact same thing.
Please visit the quaint Fursa shop (located next to Breakfast and Brunch, right by The One in Marina Mall) or check them out online to learn more about them and what they do. I have to thank the gorgeous and brilliant sisters behind Fursa, Jumana Al-Othman and Yasmeen Al-Othman, for inviting me to check Fursa out and, really, for providing such a great platform for (that’s right) a world of opportunity.
All my love!
