UAE | General

Paid to be a mother

Lagon, 26, left her home in the Philippines to come and work as a nanny in Abu Dhabi. The promise of abundant jobs as nannies and the chance to make some money, made her leave her homeland and venture into the unknown.

  • By Marten Youssef, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:30 May 2, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: From the moment she wakes up until she closes her eyes, Lhina Lagon is in charge of a two-year-old. She spends approximately 12 hours a day looking after an Emirati child while the child's mother is at work. On the occasional off days, the mother will spend an average of three hours a day with her child.

Lagon, 26, left her home in the Philippines to come and work as a nanny in Abu Dhabi. The promise of abundant jobs as nannies and the chance to make some money, made her leave her homeland and venture into the unknown. Since her arrival 17 months ago, Lagon has been working for the same Emirati family. She prefers not to name them for fear of losing her job. With barely enough English words to communicate with the child, Lagon is responsible for all the child's needs. Everything from changing diapers to putting her to sleep," Lagon says through a translator.

Making less than Dh500 per month, Lagon's job is her life. She could probably pass the child off as her own. "I teach her to have a good attitude. I also teach her Tagalog," Lagon laughs. Having no education or training as a nanny, Lagon says her job is so easy, anyone can do it. But she adds: "I am like her mother". Her story is no exception to the trend in the UAE of hiring foreign nannies to look after children here.

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