Clubwise

Every week, we bring you the latest on the UAE's clubs, associations and groups. We choose one each time and profile it, highlighting its purpose and activities. We also bring you bits of news from other such groups. So that you know what is happening when, where and why.This week: The Latin Ladies Group, Dubai

Dubai has many cultures growing under one umbrella, with specific communities or groups partaking in activities of mutual interest.

In an effort to provide Latin American ladies a common platform, every first Monday of the month a meeting is held at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa, where 120 members of the Latin Ladies Group take part in charitable, informative and cultural activities.

"It is a place for all ladies who speak Spanish or Portuguese and wish to practice the language and learn about the culture and is open to anybody who would like to interact and take part in the activities of the group," explains Roxana Balderrama, president of the group.

"Though the club was formally established only three years ago, the Latin American ladies of Dubai used to get together informally even before the first official meeting," recalls Balderrama. "Being far away from our countries, it is always nice to get together with a group of ladies that share a culture and the Portuguese and Spanish language in common," she adds.

The group today consists of women from Peru, Mexico, Norway, Columbia, Cuba, Portuguese-speaking countries, Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil. As members of the group come from various countries, important festivals of the countries they belong to are celebrated together in true festive spirit.

The Latin Ladies Group of Dubai aims to include numerous activities for its members. Some of them include learning about the customs and culture of the host country, the UAE, organise activities and talks on various subjects like health, beauty, fashion, cooking, living and more importantly, try and promote well-established charity organisations as well as conduct charities on their own.

Charitable donations include non-perishable food, clothes for children, toys, gifts for children during the festive seasons and other needy items for some neighbourhoods in Dubai.

These donations are made every month and every member of the group is happy to contribute. Other than donations, the group constantly looks at raising money for various organisations like Medecins Sans Frontieres, The Chain of Hope and the Centre for Special Needs.

The Latin Ladies Group also conducts talks on various topics like menopause, plastic surgery and Brazilian stones in the Spanish language, thus imparting knowledge and making every effort to keep the women in touch with their language.

Seminars are organised on Arabic culture to help women understand more about the place and people of the emirates. Visits to museums, places of local interest and restaurants also feature among the group's activities.