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
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.
More from UAE General
More from UAE
Latest news
- Syrian expatriates rally in the UAE
- Last chance for subscribers to win big
- it was just a ‘vampire' game, driver tells court
- Educating fussy Emirati jobseekers
- Abu Dhabi Police rescue victims of car crash
- Dubai Police solve murder mystery
- Restaurateur found dead in Abu Dhabi flat
- Gang of thieves 'used air-freshener' to attack
- 9 injured as paraglider crashes into stadium
- Sharjah festival to enlighten heritage lovers
- Reimbursement of ID card fines to start in March
- Compensation to vary for fire victims
- Bridges needed
- Police honour residents who reported crime
- Move to promote Abu Dhabi tourism
Community Reports
-
Bridges needed
Al Ittihad Road has no pedestrian facilities as one nears Sharjah
-
Street lights needed
Authorities urged to act with haste before a major accident occurs in Al Nahda, Dubai
-
Motorists ignore stop sign on buses
Overtaking school vehicles can put students' lives at risk
-
Safety regulations flouted at Dubai work place
In Al Nahda 2, two workers were seen working on the crane boom at a height of 20m without a full body harness or safety net in violation of rules
