‘UAE is a safe country to work in’
Before coming to the UAE, Deepa Thote (38) had worked as a cook, baby sitter and helper in a marriage bureau back in India. She came to Dubai in 2014 to work for an Indian family (Agrawals) as a full time maid on a contract for one-and-a-half year. But later, her contract was renewed for another six months and then it was extended for one more year. “I was excited when I was coming here for the first time and was a little scared. I thought I will work for some time and then will go back to India but it didn’t happen. Now, I don’t feel like going back,” she told while baby sitting a child.
Deepa, a mother of two teenage daughters, hails from Chhattisgarh and her husband works as a sales staff in a local shop. Through a relative’s reference, she got the job and is willing to continue as she gets paid well here. She thinks law of this country is great and she feels free to move out alone also.
“India is not safe for women and we don’t get good salary. At least here I can earn better and help my family. I get Dh1,400 per month apart from clothes, toiletries, medical expenses etc,” Deepa added.
She has made friends here and she goes out with them on her off days. “We spend the whole day together, we go to temple and shopping in Meena Bazaar and we sit in parks and eat in our favourite restaurants. Sometimes, we go for movies as well. I try to save as much money as I can as I have two young girls to look after.”
“Dubai has changed my life and I am thankful to God that I got the cooperative family. I never feel overworked or burdened here unlike in India where after spending a lot of time and hard work we get very less salary. Also, very importantly I have learned so many new things here which I could have never experienced back home,” she concluded.