觀看：感恩的杜拜家庭派出 190 名保母參加盛大的遊輪

雇主表示，敬業的照護人員是具有正面影響的家庭引擎

Several families in the UAE, who rely on domestic help and nannies, to take care of their homes and children, sent them on an all-expenses-paid cruise last weekend as a token of gratitude for their invaluable services.

阿聯酋的一些家庭依靠家事服務和保姆來照顧自己的家和孩子，上週末他們送他們乘坐免費的遊輪，以感謝他們提供的寶貴服務。

As 190 nannies, domestic helpers and caregivers set sail on the seas off the Dubai coast, their joy knew no bounds.

當 190 名保姆、家庭傭工和護理人員在迪拜海岸附近的海域起航時，他們的喜悅之情溢於言表。

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Irene, a Kenyan nanny of two, said, “My boss booked me on the cruise. It’s very nice. I hope to be doing this again and again and again.”

艾琳是肯亞兩個孩子的保姆，她說：「我的老闆為我預訂了遊輪。非常好。我希望能夠一次又一次地這樣做。

Samudi Hansika Veerasingha, A Sri Lankan nanny, who takes care of two grils aged nine and six for a family in Dubai, said, “My madam is very kind. I had such a good time on the cruise and it will definitely be the best memory from my days in Dubai.”

斯里蘭卡保姆薩穆迪·漢西卡·維拉辛哈(Samudi Hansika Veerasingha)在杜拜的一個家庭照顧兩個九歲和六歲的女孩，她說：「我的夫人非常友善。我在遊輪上度過了一段美好的時光，這絕對是我在迪拜度過的最美好的回憶。

The brainchild of Helpily, an initiative by two Dubai-based mothers Aditi Menon and Jean Pereira, the cruise was meant to celebrate nannies, domestic help and caregivers.

這艘遊輪是由兩位杜拜母親阿迪蒂·梅農 (Aditi Menon) 和讓·佩雷拉 (Jean Pereira) 發起的 Helpily 創意，旨在為保姆、家庭傭工和照顧者提供慶祝活動。

“These people work so hard and rarely get an avenue to have a good time. They live away from their own children and families. Yet, they work so hard for us and remit most of the money they earn to their families back home,” said Menon.

「這些人工作如此努力，卻很少有機會享受美好時光。他們遠離自己的孩子和家人。然而，他們為我們辛勤工作，並將大部分收入匯給家鄉的家人，」梅農說。

Having lived in the US for 20 years, Menon, who is the mother of two girls aged nine and six, said, “I feel so blessed that I get house help in Dubai. I can just go to work with a free mind knowing that my girls, are safe and my housework taken care of by my house help. The cruise was just a small way to say thank you to her and her tribe.”

梅農在美國生活了 20 年，她是兩個 9 歲和 6 歲女孩的母親，她說：「我感到很幸運，因為我在杜拜得到了家事服務。我可以安心地去上班，因為我知道我的女兒們很安全，我的家事也由我的保母負責。這次巡遊只是向她和她的部落表示感謝的一個小方式。

According to her, “Many expats share the feeling. We cannot imagine our lives without the support of our nannies and house help who often go unappreciated.”

據她說，「許多外國人也有同樣的感覺。如果沒有保姆和家政人員的支持，我們無法想像我們的生活，而他們常常不受重視。

Pereira, who has a five-year-old-son, echoes her words.

佩雷拉有一個五歲的兒子，她也同意她的話。

“As a busy mum, I am constantly on the go – trying to stay fit, school runs, after-school activities, and of course work. Having to run a house, to top it all, requires an extra pair of hands and legs and that’s where my rock, Jenny, comes in. Without her, our home would be in chaos,” she admits.

「身為一個忙碌的媽媽，我一直在忙碌——努力保持健康、學校跑步、課後活動，當然還有工作。最重要的是，必須管理一個房子，需要一雙額外的手和腿，這就是我的搖滾樂珍妮的用武之地。

Periera said a dedicated house help has a hugely positive impact on the family, which must never be taken for granted.

佩雷拉表示，專門的家事服務人員會對家庭產生巨大的正面影響，絕不能被視為理所當然。

Jenny, who also went on the cruise, is often called the family’s “home engine”.

珍妮也參加了遊輪，她通常被稱為家庭的“家庭引擎”。

“My employers are loving, caring and understanding. They are a very cool family. So I am happy to work with them and I love them so much. In fact, I feel I am one of them,” she said.

「我的雇主充滿愛心、關心和理解。他們是一個非常酷的家庭。所以我很高興和他們一起工作，我非常愛他們。事實上，我覺得我是他們中的一員，」她說。

Last year, Menon and Periera, both of whom are into event management, had organised a gala dinner for nannies at a five-star hotel in Dubai. Over 150 families like theirs had sent their caregivers to the event.

去年，從事活動管理工作的梅農和佩里拉在杜拜的一家五星級飯店為保母們舉辦了一場晚宴。超過 150 個像他們這樣的家庭派出了他們的看護人員參加了這次活動。

Menon said the only-women cruise, like the earlier gala dinner, gave participants a chance to mingle, helping to foster a community spirit amongst them.

梅農說，這次只有女性參加的巡遊，就像之前的晚宴一樣，為參與者提供了交流的機會，有助於培養她們之間的社區精神。

“The cruise, which was a first for many of them, had a lot of activities on board. Besides music and dance, and a sumptuous meal, presents were also given away by Santa, as Christmas is fast approaching.

「這艘遊輪對他們中的許多人來說都是第一次，船上有很多活動。隨著聖誕節的臨近，除了音樂、舞蹈和豐盛的大餐外，聖誕老人還贈送禮物。

“While many of us employers tend to give cash as a token of appreciation, we thought the gift of an experience that allowed them a celebration of their own would also make a difference,” said Menon.

梅農說：“雖然我們許多雇主傾向於贈送現金作為謝意，但我們認為，為他們提供一次讓他們自己慶祝的經歷的禮物也會有所作為。”