One reason people find the UAE such a great place to raise children is thanks to the prevalence of domestic helpers like Irien Fernando. Though some nannies have a rougher lot than others, many – like Irien – enjoy the job they do
Irien's extended family
Written by Laura Fulton
Minding children is nothing new to Irien Fernando, a domestic assistant – ok, nanny and housemaid – for one Abu Dhabi family. This grandmother from Ja-ela, Sri Lanka, has worked as a nanny for twelve years.
Irien’s first job in Abu Dhabi was working for an Irish family with two children, a two year old boy and a one year old girl. “I was very happy working for them – I felt like the children were like my own children. It was like being with my own family.”
Her next job in led her to a couple who had just experienced the birth of their first child in September of 2005. “I was happy to look after the new baby, but I missed the other children I had
known before.”
While some nannies in Abu Dhabi tell stories of 24-hour work days that last for weeks on end with no breaks and poor salaries, Irien feels her situation is much better. Her room is the same size as those of the rest of the family, and she has plenty of time to herself. Here’s what a typical day looks like for this essential member of her surrogate family.
Proud domestic helper Irien Fernando
6am: Irien wakes up – usually before the children – to have a quiet cup of tea and a breakfast of bread with butter and jam. Once the children come downstairs around 6.30am, she helps prepare their breakfast and get them dressed for school, then loads up the lunchboxes their mother will have prepared the
night before.
7.30am: The children are gone for school and their parents to work, so Irien has the house to herself. “I water the plants and hose down the front porch early in the day before it gets hot, then I might do some laundry, tidy the house and clean.”
10.30am: By midmorning, the house is clean, leaving Irien free to have another cup of tea and a biscuit or two. Once her lunch is cooked around 11.00am, Irien can watch TV or enjoy her own time. “Sometimes I watch one of the two Sri Lankan TV channels, but I mostly watch cricket,” says the soft-spoken lady who follows her Sri Lankan team with fervour.
1.30pm: Once the children come home from school, Irien’s afternoon may consist of looking after them or more time to herself, depending on whether they go out with their mother. “Sometimes I go out with the children and their mother, and sometimes I stay home on my own or with the children. Sometimes one of the children will go with their mother and one will stay with me.”
6pm: The bedtime routine starts early with the two young children in Irien’s care, so dinner preparation starts before the sun goes down. If the children’s mother is busy, Irien will help out with the cooking. “Sometimes I make chicken and rice with vegetables or mild curry for the children. The children’s father likes spicy Sri Lankan curry so sometimes I make that for him.”
7.30pm: While the children have a bath with their mother, Irien tidies up the house. By early evening, the children are in bed, leaving Irien to eat dinner at her leisure. “I usually go to bed very early, but I will also make plans to see my daughter on the weekend – if the family doesn’t need me for babysitting, I usually spend a lot of time on the weekends with my friends and family in town.”
Final thoughts: Life for Irien has been relatively comfortable in Abu Dhabi, especially compared to some of her fellow nannies. In fact, Irien says she’ll be sad to leave when her time in the UAE ends: “I will miss the children very much.”
