ABU DHABI // A group of expatriate volunteers have brought the spirit of Christmas to a women’s labour camp.
Since the women living at the West Coast Ladies Labour Camp could not go home for Christmas, Feel Great Helping, an informal network of volunteers in Abu Dhabi, delighted the 120 residents with a Christmas-themed brunch.
About 30 volunteers, rounded up by Feel Great Helping founder Babs Klyn, baked delicious desserts, made sandwiches of turkey, Brie and cranberry and cooked other hot dishes for the women living at the Mussaffah camp.
“The girls really enjoyed the food,” said the camp supervisor, Theresa Culianan.
For the camp’s residents, the volunteers of Feel Great Helping were like “guardians”, she said.
“You cannot explain how happy it made them. It’s natural we miss our families, but because of them we enjoy it, we forget the problems,” she said. “They forget the problem of being homesick for their families because it’s Christmas.”
Mrs Klyn recruited the help of a Salvation Army choir to lead the singing of Christmas carols. The choir even learnt a Filipino carol, Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, which was especially pleasing to the residents, who are mostly Filipinas.
“They serenaded the girls … really very, very nice,” said Mrs Culianan.
After the singing, Mrs Klyn and her group handed out bags filled with gifts collected from donations.
“We had people contribute nice treats … luxuries for them, really, because they don’t spend a lot of money on themselves, they send it home. So we wanted to give them some girlie treats,” said Mrs Klyn, a Dutch New Zealander who has lived in Abu Dhabi with her husband for two and a half years.
The women at West Coast work six days a week as housekeepers at hotels and shopping malls. Most are from the Philippines, but the camp is also home to Sri Lankans, Bangledeshis and Ethiopians. About a third are single women.
Some return home once every two years, but others stay put to save more money to send to their families back home.
Mrs Klyn said the brunch was a fun way to give the women a break from their routine while spreading happiness around the camp.
“They work so hard all week, they don’t have the opportunities that we do to go and experience activities around town. So we’re going to try to bring it to them,” said Mrs Klyn.
“I’m happy to be able to extend this support to the women at West Coast. Like us, they are far from home and miss their families, especially at this time of year. So we wanted to share a meal with them and have a fun day to celebrate together.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
