I can not believe this is my first post of 2015. One the other hand, I am so happy that something I am so passionate about took so much time that I didn’t even get the time to look for my laptop!
Let me fill you in…
Two amazing expat Women in Dubai, Stephanie Sutherland and Holly Beswetherick-Rai started up the group Dubai Mums Helping Hands in 2014. It has become a group for Mum’s in Dubai who seek to make the world a better place. Spreading love and resources where ever they can find them to give to those who need them the most . It is a non-profit organization which has evolved with the support of kind-hearted people who wish to aid positive change in Dubai.
The goal or target that was set for this project was to collect 500 care packages and with guidance from Stephanie and Holly and alot of hard work pulling from wanting to see these Women feel the love this Valentine’s Day, we reached 2000 care packages.
Each care package was filled with girlie goodies such as; shampoo, conditioner, hair treatment, hair bobbles, brushes, deodorant, tooth brush and toothpaste, sanitary items along with a few sweets and chocolate. So many women and children had put these together with a loving heart and we could not wait to pass them on.
We abandoned our own ships early on Friday and headed for the Women’s Labour Camps in Al Quoz, Sonapur and Al Quasis.
Brooke from For All Mankind gave us a run down of what to expact and how to conduct ourselves in the camps. I dont think any of us knew what to expect, all we knew was they where Mother’s like us, except these Mother’s where a long way from their home’s and families. As we entered a few Women where a little apprehensive at first but once they realised what we where there for they opened up to us and showed us nothing but grattitude and love.
Some Women brought us in and prayed with us, sung to us, begged us to come in for a drink and many just wanted us to learn more about where they came from and who they bravely left behind to provide better lives for. Many of these Women had left their Children when they where 8 weeks old and the not knowing when they would get to see them again certainly struck cords with all of us as Mother’s.
They where from so many different parts of the world and strangers at first to one another, yet they where all so comforatble with one another and some so helpful to help us explain to any Women with language barriers that we where there to love on them and that we did not expect anything in return.
I feel so thankful to have been apart of this project. I may have given out about my house being full of boxes and not being able to get from room to room in my own house but now so thrilled that this was the case.
To me they felt like modern day ‘Mother Teresa’s’ so gracious, so welcoming, willing to pray at any chance they got with us and interested in our own families.
They are Women who we often forget about. Women cleaning shopping malls. Women who clear our plates when we enjoy date night with our Husband’s. Women who hand us a towel in the bathroom after we have had a few to many drinks at the bar. Women who if each of us turned around the next time we see them and simply smile and say ‘thank you, i really appreciate you’ would have a much better day then they often do have.