From flood to flourish: AUS alumna finds resilience in disaster

When the recent flood in the UAE submerged Bookends, a beloved marketplace for pre-loved books, co-founder and American University of Sharjah (AUS) alumna Somia Anwar found herself at the heart of an incredible community effort to rebuild and restore what had been lost.

Anwar, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Management Information Systems in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004, has always had a deep connection with AUS. "AUS has been my home since 1999, offering me numerous opportunities throughout my life,” she said.

Bookends was established in 2020 by Anwar and her business partner Grace Karim, inspired by their personal struggle to find affordable books for their children. Originally an online business, the concept quickly gained traction after they won a business pitch competition at Sheraa. Now boasting over 20,000 titles across various genres and languages, the online store and the physical store in Dubai have served more than 10,000 customers and facilitated a community of 1,400 sellers.

The recent floods, however, brought unforeseen challenges. 

"Our store was submerged in water for four days, and we lost over 14,000 books. Yet, it was this disaster that showcased the strength of the community. After sharing our struggle on social media, support came primarily from the AUS alumni network. Members of the AUS alumni WhatsApp group, many of whom didn't know me personally, began sharing information about our store. Several alumni reached out to offer help by donating books, volunteering or raising awareness about our situation," she said.

Anwar and Karim were heartened by the community response.   

"The volunteer efforts spanned over two weeks, with around 100 book lovers participating. Their roles were diverse, from donating books to helping clean and organize  the store. Thanks to this collective effort, Bookends has resumed online operations, although the physical store is still undergoing renovation and is only partially open,” said Anwar.

Looking ahead, Anwar is determined to rebuild with resilience.

"With the community's support, we are in the process of rebuilding. The renovation efforts are now focused on using waterproof materials. Furthermore, Bookends wants to spread further and expand into Saudi Arabia.”