Creative Faces of the Maldives

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Vogue Maldivians 2

Maldives National Day is an apropos time to showcase more prominent Maldive nationals. Actually, Vogue Middle East recently published a great piece, “Faces of the Maldives”, an array of creative locals and talking about their aspirations and opportunities in 21st century Maldives:

  • Shaziya Saeed, diving instructor & eco-warrior
  • Mohamed Shiuz, musician
  • Aishath Naj, photographer
  • Aishath Shamla, fashion designer
  • Ahmed Fatheen, chef
  • Ahmed Riyaz and Mohamed Fayaz, entrepreneurs
  • · Iru Zareer, marine conservationist

Vogue Maldivians

Vogue Maldives women

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Best of the Maldives: Women in Science Event – Kuramathi

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Kuramathi - women in science

The career opportunities for young women extend way beyond cuisine and coral reef, and Kuramathi resort is shining a light on the range of opportunities in science:

  • “Kuramathi will host an exhibit at the Eco Centre highlighting the contributions of women leaders from various marine science institutes and the transportation sector in the Maldives, including the Maldives Marine Research Institute, Maldives Manta Ray Project, Olive Ridley Project, Salted Ventures Swimmers, Men of Water diving centre, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) and the Maldives Airports Company Ltd (MACL). A career talk will headline the main event on 11th February to promote the potential for women and girls to pursue a path in the science field. Invited school children from the neighbouring islands will hear from female role models from the participating Maldivian organisations sharing their insights about their work and achievements. Persuasive and inspiring, this session aims to open a window for the young attendees to learn about the many career opportunities available to them in the science field.”

Historically, women have lagged in their interests and pursuit of “STEM” field (ie. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) though they are catching to the boys in recent years (and in some countries have surpassed them even) thanks to initiatives like this one to raise awareness and interest. For more details on what the Maldives is doing to promote women in STEM fields, check out this UN Development Programme report, “Seeing is believing, even through a screen: How can we inspire girls in the Maldives into STEM subjects?”

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Best of the Maldives: Scuba Girls Ambassador – Nova

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Nova - scube girls ambassador

International Women’s Day today is an occasion to celebrate women doing great things and the great things that women do.  Nova resort is marking the occasion by hosting “Girls That Scuba” Ambassador Hamna Ali:

  • The bright new star resort Nova in the Maldives is celebrating International Women’s Day and marking 8th March 2023 in style. The soulful island has crafted an array of special activities for women to recognise and honour their incredible achievements and immense contribution to the world.  A special event awaits all guests as they will be able to join a snorkelling journey with Hamna Ali. Maldivian lady, a free scuba diver and ambassador of Girls that Scuba, the world’s largest female dive community, will lead all Nova guests to explore the wonders of the Indian Ocean and to snorkel into a world of breathtaking marine life.”

I caught up with Hamna in an exclusive Maldives Complete interview.  She was especially positive about the website’s profiles on Maldivians doing intriguing work in their paradise of a country.  She remarked, “In my experience, a lot of people don’t know the local side of the Maldives…such article It bring life into the other side of Maldives.”  I checked out her website and I recognized her tiger shark photo (see directly below) which has gone a bit viral on Instagram.

Here is her contribution to a fascinating peek of that other side…

  • What atoll are you from?
    Fuvahmulah.  It is unique in the Maldives for being the “One Island Atoll.”
  • What are your earliest memories of being in the water?
    I’m someone who got in the water fairly late in life.  We don’t have lagoons in Fuvahmulah where it is easy to go and learn to swim safety.  We have open water and so parents ask us to not go in the water.  However, near our house, during low tide, there is this huge patch of sea grass.  It would be covered with shells.  I remember being so fascinating. 
  • When did you get introduced to scuba diving?
    I wanted to learn how to swim and snorkel, but when I was about 12, one of my friends passed away swimming.  After that I stayed away from the water into my teens.  I was about to finish school and I started seeing friends going surfing.  I noticed that there were no other girls going surfing.  I would ask people to take people but no one would take me.  I chose as my job being a gym instructor but my interesting ocean activities continued on.  When Covid came, I went back to my island Fuvahmulah.  I had nothing to do so I decided to just go for it.  I starting swimming then surfing then snorkeling.  Even then, I didn’t know what diving was at that time.  One of my cousins owned a dive center and he reached out to me.  He told me that at the island there are lots of opportunities but there are no girls doing it.  He thought that I would be able to do it because I was going surfing with the guys and with waves crashing over me.  I told him that I would think about it.  I stayed at Fuvahmulah for 9 months.  I was going in the water every day to surf and to snorkel and I was falling in love with the water.  When COVID ended, I went back to my job and I realized that I wasn’t getting the joy that I had in the water.  So, I left my job and moved back to Fuvahmulah and decided to take up diving.  One day, one of my friends told me to get ready to go out in the water.  They took me to the ocean and when I got there, I saw a bunch of guys with diving equipment.  We all boarded a little fishing boat.  People came up to me saying “Your life is about to change. You are about to do your first dive.”  My cousin told me that we would jump in, but I saw everyone doing the roll-back into the water and I thought that was great so I did it to on my first entry.  Out of the harbour, we saw the tiger sharks come out.  Until that point in my life, I had never seen a shark.  Not even a reef shark.  It was an amazing experience.
  • What are some of the challenges that women face in the scuba diving world?
    I think representation is the place to start.  In my experience, I was the only women in this field so I didn’t even know about it being a possibility for me.  Also, I initially expected a lot of support from people in the industry, but it was quite the opposite.  People were not used to seeing women do things that men were used to doing like docking the boats.  Many men made little comments to me doubting my ability.  Sometimes they don’t like to believe the same things you can do.  There is lot of ego involved with shark diving.  Kind of power thing facing these powerful creatures.
  • How did you overcome some of those obstacles?
    I just continued what I’m doing because actions speak louder than words. I stayed precisely because there were so few women. And some people are very supportive.  And those that are sceptical at first, turned positive when they really saw what I was doing every day and how I was fitting in.  If they see what I am doing, they have no choice but to accept that I can do these things. 
  • What sort of questions do you get from women about scuba diving?
    A number of people got confused about how you can dive with sharks during your “time of month”.  It sounds funny, but people need to talk about these things to know how to these things as they are very easily addressed.
  • What is the most memorable creature you saw diving?
    So many things!  My first thresher shark.  My first big school of hammerheads (100-200 passing by).  But the most amazing was the oceanic white tip shark.  Known to be one of the most aggressive sharks.  They roam the high seas and go months and months without eating.  We had just finished a dive and saw a group of melon headed whales and were snorkeling with them.  Oceanic white tips often follow these pods of whales, but we were not expecting to see one because they are so rare.  They were the top of my bucket list because they are the most elusive.  It was one of my dreams to see them.  If you don’t know how to read them, they can be a little bit dangerous.  And in fact, i had one charge at me and I got to redirect the shark.  That is amazing. [see Instagram photo below]
  • What is your favourite creature to see?
    Sharks aside, I would definitely say the Ghost Pipefish.  Also, nudibranchs.
  • What does your role as “Girls That Scuba Ambassador” entail?
    “Girls That Scuba” is the biggest female diving community in the world.  Every year they choose 10 girls in the world to represent this community.  These ambassadors reach out to people so people can see all different kinds of women from all over the world in the diving scene.
  • Where is your bucket list destination outside the Maldives?
    Raja Ampat, Indonesia known as a “Lost Paradise”.  The coral life and marine life is something out of your imagination.  One of best places for coral in the world.  Also Baha, California for whales especially blue whales.
  • What is your latest project?
    We have started an NGO called “    Miyaru” whose purpose is to research the sharks of the Maldives, and our first project is researching the tiger sharks in Fuvamulah.  No local NGO doing research on these sharks and Fuvahmulah has the biggest tiger shark population in the world.  It is our effort to give back to the sharks.  Also, I am working with a UK NGO with the objective to empower women in ocean science, and women in Fuvamulah.  We will be bringing more opportunities to women in the field by training local women in different types of research like data analysis, data collection, diving, etc.

You can follow Hamna’s underwater adventures on her Instagram account and her webpage.

Nova - scuba girls ambassador 3

Nova - scuba girls ambasador 2

  xxx

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Best of the Maldives: Artist Couple in Residence – Cora Cora

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Cora Cora - artist couple 1

A number of resorts now feature artists-in-residence, but Cora Cora is the first husband-wife team plying their creativity in family partnership. I had the fortune to meet Shameen during our recent visit (see photo below) and he told me about his intriguing artistic journey. He and his wife Sheenez shared their story with Maldives Complete:

Shameen…

  • How did you get started in art?
    I started when I was young. When I was 7 years, my mother asked if I could draw this photo. I started with pencil. At that time, there were no art classes in the school on the local island. In the school, I was sketching on the paper. People asked if I could paint things for them. When I got to Grade 10, I got to be pretty good. There was a competition for the whole Maldives. I had to go into schools. The competition had a theme of Human Rights so we had to to represent things like domestic violence, etc. I received 3rd place. Then I came to Male. I looked for anybody who taught art, but there was nobody. People suggested going abroad, but I didn’t have the money for that. I continued studying diligently and I went to school for business management. I told my mother that I wanted to have 6 months to do what I wanted. I was 17 years old at the time. I spent all my money (500 rufia) to buy art supplies. I didn’t have good Internet so I went to the library to study books about art. I started painting portraits. I got lots of business doing pencil sketches. I study from my heart, because I love to do it. When I was 18, I wanted to do an exhibition, but I didn’t have the money. But someone saw my work who had a boutique at the Male airport. He also had a school and I started teaching at the school. I could paint a painting in under 8 minutes (and people enjoyed watching me do it). I have painted more than 30,000 paintings. At one point, I had to stop painting and I started driving a taxi, when one of the people I drove was the Director of Cora Cora (Martin). During the ride, I showed my work on the phone and he asked me to paint the Cora Cora paintings
  • Who are some of your favorite artists and influences?
    My wife Sheeneez. She is a good observer so she guides me through making my work more perfect. She has lots of great ideas.
  • How did you meet?
    When I was 17 years, I went library to gather information for an art class. I saw her in the library and saw this beautiful girl. I fell in love at first sight. So I decided to draw her face and give it to her. On the pictures, I wrote my phone number and gave it to her. She messaged me 6 months later and we have been together ever since.
  • How do your styles differ?
    I am mastering in Water color, acrylic colour, Oil colour, Pencil color, Airbrush etc Last 10 years I was into all styles of the painting. I am more into realism style and she has a more modern style.
  • What is your aspiration?
    I’ve opened an art school in Male to teach art to students of all ages. My dream is to grow young artists and give them hope in the art world. We also help with displaying and even marketing their art.

Sheeneez…

  • How did you get started in art?
    Sometime after we met, Shameen started a studio downstairs from my father’s store. I started helping him with the studio doing backgrounds, and eventually he taught me more and more about painting.
  • Who are some of your favorite artists and influences?
    Shameen (obviously!). We teach together at the resort and in Male.  I also like Larssen who does lovely dolphins.
  • How did you meet?
    I had just moved to Male and went to the library with a friend. Within 5 minutes, this young man introduced himself to me.
  • Which is your favorite piece done by the Shameen?
    A modern painting with lots of colours which was his first painting. This one is very special.
  • Which is your favorite piece done by you?
    I never painted a person’s face with colour. So one day I decided to try it doing Bob Marley. I was very proud of it. I was surprised at how well it came out.

Cora Cora - artist couple 2

Cora cora - artist couple 5

Cora Cora - artist couple 4

Cora Cora - artist couple 3

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Best of the Maldives: Maldivian Marine Biologists Women – Cocoa / Siyam World

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Women Marine Biologists Maldives

There are so many Maldivian women to celebrate during International Women’s Week, that we had to feature to in one post. Kaia Mohamed Ali at Cocoa Island and Mariyam Thuhufa at Siyam World are two friends breaking glassfloors into the depths of marine biology in the Maldives. I had the chance to meet Kaia during my recent visit to Soneva Jani where she had previously been working and we shared all lively and insightful conversation about Laccadive life. She introduced me to her friend and colleague in the field, Mariyam, who at the time was working just a (long) stone’s throw away at Siyam World. They both gave Maldives Complete exclusive interviews about their personal and professional journeys to the undersea world…

Kaia Mohamed Ali:

  • What atoll are you from?
    I am from Kaafu atoll, from the capital city of Male’.
  • What age did you learn to swim?
    I learnt to swim at the age of 4, but my parents would take me to dip in the sea when I was much younger. My parents felt it was important to teach me to be comfortable in the water since our country is surrounded by water.
  • What was your first snorkelling experience?
    The first time I went snorkelling, I was 15 years old. I spent ages 7 through 14 living in Sri Lanka. After I returned to the Maldives, I went for my first snorkel with a friend on the house reef of Villimale’. It was a surreal experience as it was my first time seeing the reef with my own eyes – something I had previously only seen during the many hours I spent watching NatGeo and Animal Planet. Before my first snorkel, I always had a slight fear of the animals that lived in the ocean. I had only ever seen them from the surface or in the shallows. I was afraid of sharks, stingrays and moray eels and always felt I would get attacked. I guess the false portrayal of these movies played a role in my fear. After I started snorkelling and spending much time on the reef, I understood the behaviour of marine life. Nothing would hurt me as long as I knew how to behave in the water – No touching wildlife, no chasing wildlife, and no feeding wildlife. As long as you respected the animals’, everything was fine. 
  • What was your first diving experience?
    My first diving experience was after I started doing my degree foundation in Marine Science. I was 16 years old. I signed up for my open water course and went on a dive to Male’s reef. It was fun and less scary than I thought it would be. I enjoyed my experience. I noticed the difference between the coral life at the surface versus a few meters below. I knew at that moment that I would never stop diving. I did not notice the sewage pipes sticking out the reef on that same dive until it blasted the diver in front of me with sewage. Very disgusting. I never went diving on Male’ reef again.
  • Where did you study marine biology?
    I studied Marine Biology at the Maldives National University. I am currently working in COMO Cocoa island as a resident marine biologist. I built up my resume through volunteer work and eventually worked for a non-profit in sea turtle conservation. Many years of work experience prepared me for the role of Marine Biologist. 
  • What did you do your final research paper on?
    Please refer to the previous answer. Although I did not do my final research paper, I have contributed to and conducted my independent studies during my time working, such as an internal scientific paper on the Sediment Dynamics on Olhuveli Island.
  • What is your favourite sighting diving?
    It’s hard to pick a favourite when you’re fascinated by everything underwater! But one that stands out/that I can think of at the top of my head is when I dove at a Manta point in Laamu Atoll. We saw a handful of mantas along with massive green turtles – two animals I love. There was so much going on I wasn’t sure where to look. I equally enjoy the dives where I find the small stuff – the cute tiny shrimp and nudibranchs – they’re harder to find, therefore more rewarding.
  • What is your favourite sighting snorkelling?
    I think it would have to be the first time I ever saw a Whale shark. I took a trip to South Ari atoll to spend time with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme for my birthday. After two weeks of no whale shark sightings in Ari Atoll, we saw three on my birthday. It was the first time I’d seen any marine life that massive. I can’t even describe the overwhelming feelings I felt. I definitely cried into my mask. A second favourite sighting was on a casual snorkel in Noonu atoll; I came across a  lone eagle ray cruising by. As I dove down to take a closer look, he came up towards me, made direct eye contact and circled me. We spent a few seconds just swimming around each other before he finally swam off. It’s just incredible to me that we can have such intimate interactions with wildlife.
  • How did you and Mariyam meet?
    Thuhufa and I initially met while she worked for a sea turtle conservation NGO called Naifaru Juveniles in Lhaviyani Atoll. I was working for a different sea turtle conservation non-profit called the Olive Ridley Project. I participated in a Turtle festival by the Naifaru Juvenile when we first met. I noticed Thuhufa as there weren’t many young locals working in conservation. It was nice to meet someone else with the same passions as me. We reconnected a few years later when we were enrolled for the same course in University. It was an instant connection – we became really close friends and we worked pretty closely during our time there.
  • What is the most prevalent misconception about the ocean and marine life that you find?
    That sharks are dangerous and want to eat you. Despite their reputation – sharks are not dangerous and they don’t want to eat you. They would much rather feed on fish and other mammals. Humans are not part of their natural diet and they rarely attack humans. You are more likely to die because of a cow than by sharks.

Mariyam Thuhufa (here is another fine profile on Mariyam)

  • What atoll are you from?
    I am from R. Atoll Rasmaadhoo. A beautiful local island just north of Male’. The island is known for its Surf Spot and for the local boat buildings. It’s a small island with a big sense of community still intact.
  • What age did you learn to swim?
    I can’t recall when exactly I learned how to swim. When I was living in my island I would have been around 6 or 7, I used to follow my cousins out to the water and we used to spend the day in the sea. I remember this one memory vividly. One day I followed my cousin brother to our islands famous surf spot. He went out on his board and I stayed near the beach. But at one point I wanted to get in to the water so I swam out. Next thing I know I was caught in the surf. I remember being under three consecutive waves and not being able to breath. I remember being terrified but I went back to the ocean the very next day. I guess, after that incident I unconsciously taught myself to swim, or at least how to not get caught in huge surfs.
  • What was your first snorkelling experience?
    My first snorkeling experience was in the house reef of Villimale’. Villimale’ is the closest island to Male’ and was considered a picnic island back when I was a kid. I used to go there with my family on the weekends and started learning to snorkel during these trips. At first, I would stay in the shallow lagoon area and get excited whenever I see a lone fish passing by. One day I wandered off to the reef edge and it was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. I saw lots of colorful corals and huge parrot fishes. This was way before the 2016 el Nino, so the reef was vibrant with healthy corals and lots of species of fish. It was an amazing experience.
  • What was your first diving experience?
    My first diving experience was way back in 2014, when I was working at the Maldives Whale Submarine. How the submarine operated was that when the sub goes down with the passengers, scuba divers would go down with it and fool around with the fishes and eels and entertain the guests. I had always wanted to go dive with the scuba team. One day after much talking, one of the instructors from the team decided to take me for a discover scuba session. It was the most amazing day. I loved everything about my first dive. How the sun’s rays looked under the surface to how the eels came and wrapped themselves around me so gently. I loved discovering the smallest invertebrates that day and playing around with an octopus while it changed colour frequently. It was a day I will never forget.
  • Where did you study marine biology?
    I did my bachelors in Environmental Management at Maldives National University. Most of my knowledge about the marine environment I have gained from working and volunteering at different NGOs. I am currently working at the newly opened 5-star resort SIYAM WORLD as their Resident Marine Biologist. But before I landed this job, I’ve worked with Maldives Whale shark Research Program, Turtle Rehabilitation center in Naifaru Juvenile, IUCN and I’ve done coral and fisheries research at Maldives Marine Research Institute.
  • What did you do your final research paper on?
    My Final Research Paper was on the ‘Perception of Maldivian Grouper Fishers on the sustainability of the Current Practices and the Management Plan’. In my paper I did an in-depth analysis of the current practices of the grouper fishery industry of the Maldives and how effect the current management plan is on combating the unsustainable practices that has been going on in the industry. I also conducted a survey questionnaire to understand how well the fishers know about the management plan and tried to understand how their livelihood was being affected by the sustainability practices enforced in the management plan.
  • What is your favourite sighting diving?
    It is so hard to pick one sight. But on the top of my head I think the best sight was when I was doing a fun dive at Vaavu Atoll a few years back and we came across a ball of trevallies. It was the most amazing thing. We went right inside the ball of fish so we were surrounded on all sides by them. This was something I’ve always wanted to experience and it was just so surreal. This was a dive I will never forget.
  • What is your favorite sighting snorkelling?
    I think my favorite sight snorkeling would be anytime we get to interact with Mantas or Whlaesharks. Whalesharks specially are such gentle giants that we get to spend atleast 30 minutes with one and it just becomes such a meaningful experience because you get to learn so much about them during this interaction.
  • What is the most prevalent misconception about the ocean and marine life that you find?
    There is a lot of them ranging from ‘corals are plants’ to ‘all sharks are dangerous’. Amongst fishers that I have talked to there is also the general idea floating about that since the ocean is so big, we will never run out of fish. I think this is the biggest misconception that I find, especially in the Maldives where our livelihood and food resource is so directly connected to the fisheries industry of the country. Fisherman thinking sustainability during fishing practices is unnecessary because they don’t believe in the declining fish stock populations while research clearly shows otherwise. This is why, currently there is a lot of effort put into conducting awareness sessions for the local fishers regarding issues like this.
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Best of the Maldives: Maldivian Female Apprentice Snorkel Guide – AaaVeee

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AaaVeee - snorkel guide

One of our favourite parts of visiting the Maldives over so many years and working on it so regularly with the website are the many friends we have made from this paradise. One of my motivations for all the work (and money) I put into Maldives Complete, is that I feel more like a participant and more a part of this wonderful place rather than just a here-today-gone-tomorrow spectator with a credit card. This year’s tour in particular was full of reunions with old friends. And we had the chance to meet other fascinating individuals during our travels.

People like Thoyyibaa Ahmed at AaaVee. She is the Maldives’ first female resort snorkel guide. Well, I should say “snorkel guide apprentice”. She is still learning the details under the auspices of the guruVa dive centre. But she inspired us with her enthusiasm for this iconic activity in her home country where many women historically haven’t even learned to swim in the past.

Those gender biases are shifting you are now seeing more and more women entering into the activity both for fun and professionally. Women like Zoona Naseem who became the first female PADI instructor (working out the Male suburb Villimale) and many more like her as demonstrated by the recent Women’s Day Dive which attracted record numbers.

Maldives Complete had the opportunity to sit down with Thoyyibaa to learn about her quest to share this aquatic scenery with all guests…

  • What is your name? – Thoyyibaa Ahmed
  • What atoll are you from? – Male
  • What got you interested in being a snorkel guide? – The ocean is my love. I first tried to dive, but I had health problems that did not allow me to dive. So then I choose to look at snorkeling. My best friend was a snorkel guide, but had to stop when she had a baby. She recommended that I try it.
  • What languages do you speak? – Dhivehi and English mainly, but I am learning Italian and German. I am studying all the fish names. The names are very important.
  • What is the favourite thing you see snorkeling? – Turtles.
  • When did you start learning to swim? – Three months ago. It is my new experience. The dive master is teaching me. The first time I went in the water, I was very scared. If I am tired or weak, I will use a life jacket for safety. I am really grateful to AaaVeee for giving me this opportunity to learn to become a snorkel guide.
  • What do your friends and family think of your job direction? – My mother is very surprised because this is the first time I’ve ever done something like this. All my family and friends are giving me their full support. I never give up. I keep trying. My mother is always asking questions about how it is going.
  • Who uses a snorkel guide? – Any guest really, but some guests come here alone and they need a buddy to accompany them.
  • Any advice for any other women interesting in snorkeling? – Snorkeling is the best thing I have done. There is no reason to be scared. Women and girls who have not learned to swim should not be scared. You can do whatever you want. Don’t give up.

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Best of the Maldives: Maldivian Fashion Design – Kandolhu

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Kandolhu - Funoas

Who puts the “fun” into “Funoas”? Kandolhu has introduced the “Funoas” range of swimwear which you can buy at the resort. Her designs based on the distinctive and colourful sea life of the Maldives are truly inspired. We caught up the Maldivian born Funoas designer Sumii Haleem for her first exclusive interview:

Q: Where are you from in the Maldives?
A: I was born and raised in Male’, Maldives. My mother is from Henveiru district and my father is from Maafannu district.

Q: Where are you living now?
A: I am currently living in Perth, Australia.

Q: What brought you there?
A: Education brought me here to Perth. Back then, when I finished high school, there were no universities in Maldives. Anyone who wanted to get a tertiary level education, had to go overseas. So my parents decided to move to Australia so my little sister and I could have a chance at a quality education. Ever since then I have been moving back and forth between Maldives and Australia.

Q: What inspired your career in art?
A: I have always been fascinated by nature and science and have always used art as a way of expressing this fascination. I also grew up around my aunt who was a seamstress. So it was a combination of curiosity and exposure to designing clothes, that started my career in art.

Q: What was the first piece you sold?
A: The first piece of artwork that I ever sold was in 2012, an abstract ink on paper drawing called “The City Never Sleeps”. It was on Society6 that I sold this print. I felt ecstatic, that someone had actually bought my artwork!

Q: How did you move into fashion?
A: Initially, I started printing my artwork on t-shirts, mugs, laptop and phone covers on Society6. I got a lot of positive response from friends and with their encouragement decided to start my own clothing line. At the time I started working on Funoas, I had also just started scuba diving and was blown away by the beauty and the vulnerability of our coral reefs. I wanted my brand to be an environmentally conscious one, so I could use clothing and fashion to create awareness about issues faced by Maldives, such as climate change, global warming and sea level rise.

Q: What’s your biggest selling item?
A: My best selling item is the Thaana printed clothes. Thaana is the unique writing system of Maldivian language, Dhivehi. I created this piece because I thought Dhivehi is a unique language spoken by a minority of world’s people and the scripture is also visually so unique and eye catching. So I think this print is very sentimental to Maldivians, especially those that live away from home, like myself.

Q: Who are your favourite designers?
A: My art is influenced by people from different walks of life, nature and scientific concepts so it is difficult to narrow it down to only designers. Some of the people that influence my work include Ashish Gupta, Adam Manik, Hassan Manik, Aishath Shafeeg, Moosa Mamdhuh, Ahmed Shafeeg, Maya Arulpragasam, Karl Lagerfeld, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, Nicola Tesla, David Attenborough,Fibonacci, Neil Degrassi Tyson, Scuba divers and all underwater photographers, just to name a few.

Q: If someone gave you $1 million to invest in your business, what would you invest it in?
A: If I had a million dollars I would invest it on building Funoas to become an internationally recognised brand that creates quality clothing, 100% ethically and eco-consciously. I would concentrate on creating our products solely from recycled polyester, which is something I am currently looking into for my future collections. Once Funoas is a well established clothing brand, I would love to be able to work with local Maldivian environmentalists, marine researchers and climate change advocates to study more about our own marine ecosystems and bring a positive change to Maldives’ growing environmental crises. I believe this is a social responsibility.

Funoas suit
Manta crop-top

Funoas suit 2
Nudibranch two-piece

Funoas suit 3
Oriental sweet lips

Funoas suit 4
Thaana printed swim shorts

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Best of the Maldives: Female RM – Summer Island

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Summer Island - GM

America didn’t quite go for its only female chief executive, but in a land known more for its glass floors, Mariya Shareef is breaking a few glass ceilings with her appointment as Resort Manager of Summer Island – the only female RM in the Maldives at present. Maldives Complete had a chance to catch up with her for an exclusive interview about her career and views on tourism in her country…

  • What was your first ever job?
    The first job I ever had was helping a friend’s mom sell school uniform badges just before the school season started – I must have been around 14 – 15 years old. As a reward for this work, we were treated to a nice meal. I took it seriously, I was always there, punctual, and I memorised the prices of all the badges. I worked alongside a friend, who remains close to me now, and we would sit and chat as we waited for clients. It was such fun!
  • What was your first job in hospitality?
    I worked in Bandos island resort as a pastry assistant. I always thought I would become a pastry chef someday, but my career has taken me into management.
  • What has been your favourite sighting on the Summer Island house reef?
    The little ‘Nemo’ clown fish and anemones near the jetty. It is the first thing you see when you arrive on the island. I never tire of looking at them – they are such pretty little ones.
  • What has been an idea (eg new dish, a new activity, a new offer) that completely failed?
    I wish I could remember a specific idea or incident. Of course, I have failed at things. Lots of ideas have been rejected, and there has always been things I wanted to do but couldn’t, or that I started and stopped midway through. Failure, I think, goes hand in hand with success. If you never make any mistakes, it probably means you are too risk averse. As long as you always learn from your mistakes, it’s an important part of growing and developing.
  • How have the guests changed over your career?
    I think the clientele who holiday in the Maldives haven’t changed that much over the years. The country still has a well-preserved image as the perfect honeymoon or romantic destination. Probably, the honeymooners have overtaken the divers now, who were the first group who started coming when tourism first began. Nowadays, we also have new groups visiting such as surfers. The market keeps expanding, especially with the introduction of new tourism offers such as guesthouses on local islands, as well as cruises and safari boats that cater to surfers. There are also more family orientated resorts. I would say the country is more open now for different segments of guests and we are better able to cater to different needs, different age groups, activities and nationalities. But the honeymoon image is still the one for which the Maldives is world famous.
  • How have the management challenges changed over your career?
    Management style differs from company to company. I have always been happy where ever I worked and have been quite blessed with good bosses. I had the privilege of working with foreign and local management. I believe things will change, and the new generation needs to bring change. I believe locally managed companies are changing for the better. As one of the only Maldivian women to hold the post of resort manager, I hope to be a good example of such change. I am not only happy for myself, but for the positive change the company has brought – it is very motivating.
  • What is your favourite dish served at Summer Island restaurants?
    I love food, so everything I eat is always good! The best food I had in Summer Island was a very yummy prawn curry. And I shouldn’t forget the satay in the snack menu, which we also sometime have on the buffet – it’s so good!
  • If you had $1 million to add one single feature to Summer Island, what would it be?
    With $1 million I would do lots small things, predominantly to the staff areas. I would redo the football pitch with astro-turf, pave the badminton court, add one more floor to the staff lounge and bring in more snooker tables, table tennis tables, and other sports; do up the cafeteria nicely, add lots of cozy areas for staff to lounge and mingle. A Million Dollars will also go along way to “comp” offer complementary experiences.
  • What’s one question I didn’t ask that you either wish I asked or were surprised that I didn’t ask (and what the answer)?
    Maybe, ‘how does it feel to be in this position now?’ and my answer would be, it feels like I am finally home. I was and have always been in love with this beautiful island and its people, including the management and the owners. They are such wonderful people. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming – but in a very happy way. And today, when I think about all these questions, and everyone talking about me; being in the media and all that, I have never felt anything different from my people here at ‘home’. I started this new job with huge responsibilities on my shoulders but when I saw the smiles on everyone’s faces, I knew I had the support of my colleagues. I have been in this new job for about 20 days now but I know that I’m not alone and that is a great feeling. I never feel I am being treated differently because I am a woman, or because I’m young… this place simply makes me feel like I am home.
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Best of the Maldives: Maldivian Archaeologist – Shiura Jaufar

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Shiura Jaufar archeologist
Jaufar (right) working in Male’ Sultan Park with Dr. Christie

Today the Maldives is a billionaire’s playground that attracts those with money from around the world. But in the earliest days of the world’s history, the Maldives might very well have been the source of money itself.

That is one of the areas being researched by Anne Haour and her archaeological team out of the University of East Anglia. The project will be going into 2018 and I will be covering parts of it here as they become available (you can also follow Haour’s own blog “Crossroad of Empires”.

Included in Haour’s literally ground-breaking work, is one of her team members, Shiura Jaufar, who is the Maldives’ ploughing new ground as the country’s first archaeologist. In another exclusive interview, Maldives Complete caught up with Jaufar to do a bit of its own digging into her world of ancient mysteries…

1. How did you get interested in archaeology?
I have always wanted to become an archaeologist since the age of 9 upon discovering an article about an archaeological discovery in the local newspaper. Back then (and even now) people often used to ask kids about their ambition when they grow up and nothing else interested me until I saw this certain article. It astounded me to find out that there was a job where you could actually dig and discover things that dated back to thousands and millions of years. I guess I found out it too interesting and exciting to pursue another career.

2. What is your current research project?
Currently I am doing a PhD studentship in the University of East Anglia where I look at the pottery found in Maldives. For this, I have carried out archaeological test excavations in different regions of Maldives with the help of my supervisor Dr. Anne Haour and Post-doctorate researcher Dr. Annalisa Christie and yielded thousands of potsherds in order to better understand the role the Maldives played in the ancient Indian Ocean trade network. Maldives played a pivotal role in this trade system and pottery becomes a rather important element here since it is not known of any production centers in Maldives for pottery and so it is assumed that all pots were imported from neighboring countries such as India and Sri Lanka as well as China. My key focus will be to study these pots to produce a typology among various other information that can be used to better understand the nature of this important trade network.

3. Where did the ancient pots come from?
From what I have researched, there are no mention and no visible traces of pottery production in Maldives and so until proven otherwise, the current assumption is that the ancient Maldivians did not make pots but imported them adding to this the absence of clay in Maldives. It is said that Maldives imported a lot of glazed ware from China, as well as vessels (both glazed and unglazed) from the neighboring countries possibly India and Sri Lanka. This is also part of my current thesis to find similar comparisons within the South Asian region.

4. What was your most exciting find in a dig?
I am very much addicted to pots, especially intact whole pots considering we usually find broken shards and rarely a complete one. Therefore, the most exciting find in a dig for me so far would have to be the two intact and complete pots me and my team discovered while digging a Late period (664-332 BC) site in Egypt.

5. What is the most difficult part of your work?
Honestly, becoming an archaeologist itself has been a huge challenge itself considering this is a very new discipline in the Maldives and also since I am a woman. I guess the most difficult part of being an archaeologist is that there’s very limited scope for this field in the Maldives. The opportunities are scarce in all aspects of the field like lack of financial support, lack of awareness among locals, lack of expertise etc.

6. What antiquity in the world would you most like to go visit?
I am a huge follower of Egyptology and so I have always dreamt of visiting the Egyptian pyramids, their elaborate tombs and the mummies. Alhamdhulillah, I was blessed to see them not so long ago 🙂 I would also love to visit the ruins at Petra in Jordan and the South American sites such as the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico and the Incan site of Machu Picchu in Peru.

7. What is the most unusual or curious fact you know about the ancient history of the Maldives?
I find it rather intriguing to know that not only we have archaeology underground but underwater as well, i.e. shipwrecks and such. I think our underwater sites have as much potential for the better understanding of the Maldivian archaeology and heritage. There are ships under our waters from various parts of the world with various different goods and stories buried along with them and what strikes me most is that no archaeological or heritage related work has been done on these sites yet.

Jaufar travelling with her planning frame used for doing plan drawings of the site.
Shiura Jaufar archeologist travelling

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Best of the Maldives: Maldivian Female DJ – Angie

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Amilla Fushi - Angie DJ

Another way to get the evening rockin’ is a bit of lively (or soothing) music. Many of the resorts will offer DJs who can provide a personal touch to the playlist. They often read the crowd and adapt the music they play based on how people are responding and the vibe. One of the top DJs in the Maldives is Aminath Fazleena Abbas. While some resorts jet in DJs from around the world, “Angie” (as she has been classed since a young age) hails from her hometown of Male. She might just be the top female DJ in the Maldives (DJing has been a bit of a male dominated domain as only 2 of DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ acts are women. And curiously, both acts are duos). Maldives Complete caught up with Angie for an exclusive interview into the world of bopping in paradise….

1. How did you get interested in DJing?
I have always had interest in music and dancing, during my studies abroad i used to watch a lot of DJs perform and get fascinated by how they controlled the crowd through music. The thought crossed my mind through observation i would say.

2. What was your first gig?
My first gig was held in Kuda Bandos island for a crowd of around 200 people.

3. Where was your first resort gig?
Dusit Thani Resort for New year 2013

4. What was your biggest gig?
‘Cupid’ event held in Buba Restaurant and beach club Sri Lanka for a crowd of 2500.

5. What advice would you give to other Maldivians interested in DJing?
If you have passion for DJing, Learn, Practice and work towards it.. With effort you can yield big results in any walk of life.

6. What’s the hardest part about a DJ gig?
Interruptions during performance and trying to please crowd of various tastes.

7. Which big name DJs do you admire?
Chemical brothers, Nina kraviz, four tet..

8. What other resorts have you performed at?
Velaa, Taj Exotica, Anantara Digu, Anantara Naladu, Amilla Fushi, Como Maalifushi, One and only Reethi Rah, Soneva Fushi, Sun Island, Cinnamon Dhonveli , Fihalhohi , Cinammon Hakuraa

8. Do the resorts differ in terms of what sort of music/performance they are looking for?
There is just a handful of resort where i could play genres i want. Usually resort either prefers commercial dance music or chill-out, deep house genres. I have noticed that most high end resorts prefer the latter.

9. What is your personal favourite dance song?
Challenging question as there are too many songs i love.. These are few I am into these days:

  • Daniel Portman – The reason
  • Peniciline – Alberto Feria alvaro
  • Droplex – Dance

10. What is your go-to song to get people dancing?
Deorro, TJR, Bassjackers

11. What are your 3 most requested songs?
Commercial dance music artists like Pitbull, Rhanna, Nicki Minaj

12. What are your 3 favourite romantic songs (for those honeymooners)?

  • Disclosure by Latch
  • Praise You by Fatboy Slim (Maribou remix)
  • Stolen Dance by Milky Chance.

13. What are your 3 favourite “chill out” songs (reflecting the soothing vibe of the Maldives)?

  • Bungalow by Boy Tedson
  • 65 percent by Kaya Project
  • Stuck in a dream by Soulavenue

Amilla Fushi - Angie DJ 2

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