“We’re grateful for living in this city, which gave us the impetus to fulfil our dreams”. With those words, Asha Ramshandani, co-founder of Oli Oli Dubai described her feelings and joy at living in the emirate of Dubai – a place she considers home – for more than 30 years.

Mother-of-two Asha says she had long been thinking about starting a project that helps children learn and develop skills using interactive traditional activities rather than electronic games. So, she collaborated with three other parents and opened their own project - Oli Oli - in Dubai. “Oli Oli” means “joy” in Hawaiian.

"The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inspired us to adopt this idea in Dubai. Oli Oli has an art center and different exhibits that allow children to learn and discover through play. It also strengthens the bond between parents and children as they are involved in doing most of these activities together.”