Abu Dhabi is a city geared towards family life, with plenty of schools and facilities for the little ones. But as most of the expatriates living here are thousands of miles away from their families, how do they cope with the pressure of being parents? This is where a very long-standing volunteer group in the community comes in, with a lot of answers and help at hand.
Established in 1996, Abu Dhabi Mums is a group first conceived and instigated by a group of British mothers looking for a common play group. What began as an informal meet up soon blossomed into a large network with over 700 members.
‘The number might seem large,’ says Abu Dhabi Mums’ chairwoman, and mother of two, Mareike Boccola. ‘But not all the members meet at the same time. There are different groups and the typical turnout for the various groups is between 10-20, while usually around 40-50 people show up for the events.’ Aside from the weekly meetings for specific age groups, there are also several large special events hosted throughout the year, as well as monthly social gatherings that allow parents to meet and mingle.
The group operates different activities on and off the island, but all are centred around the city. The usual venue where people meet is at Zayed Sports City. ‘They have been very supportive and accommodating, and often let us use their facilities,’ Mareike tells us. The group uses social networking sites, such as Facebook, as well as email to coordinate between the different parents and members. ‘We also have a monthly newsletter which updates our members on the latest activities, timings and venues.’
Mareike knows first-hand how supportive and important the Abu Dhabi Mums can be. ‘I was new in the country and had my first child,’ she tells us. ‘I joined the group and attended their monthly committee meeting, which is open for any member to attend. I noted that they had a vacancy for a chairperson and as I had worked in communications before, I decided to lend my skills to the group.’ Looking back, Mareike asserts that Abu Dhabi Mums has offered her invaluable support, advice and insight. ‘Many of the new mothers in the city don’t have the luxury of having their parents around to help, so it’s great to have a network that you can rely on for support.’
As a volunteer group, these ladies truly rely on each other’s nurturing nature for assistance. ‘I cannot stress how important volunteers are to the group,’ says Mareike. Despite having many women who do a lot, the group need a steady stream of volunteers as many families do tend to leave the city. ‘We do have a system in place for volunteers and can be contacted through our website.’
Not only does the group provide a lot of support for their members, but they also have some pull in the community. ‘We have a lot of deals with local nurseries and kindergartens, who sometimes let us use their facilities for free or for discounted prices. Also, many of the mums work in these places, so they help us to get in touch with management and coordinate something.’ Although Abu Dhabi Mums accept members with children up to 16 years old, the main focus is on parents of children too young for school. ‘The children love it as well; they form very strong friendships, which is very nice to see. We try to change up activities, so it’s not always just about play, but also about being physically active. We are now trying to include more arts and crafts activities for the coming season too.’
Becoming a member costs just Dhs150 annually and the benefits are plentiful. To learn more about the group or join, visit their website at www.abudhabimums.ae.
