Children & Nurture: Bahrain Story #76
#100 Bahrain Stories is the beautiful brainchild of Tanzeel Jabbar-Khadir. As an Australian writer with Indian and Pakistani heritage, Tanzeel relocated to the small Gulf island of Bahrain several years ago and embarked upon a personal project to interview 100 people from all walks of life in her new home. TCK TOWN is proud and excited to be able to share the stories from some of the 100 inspiring people that were interviewed. These stories have even been published as a book. Take a look at the end of this article to find out where you can purchase it. We hope you enjoy this series as much as we do!
“ I first came to Bahrain from Sri Lanka in March of 1978. My first job was working as a nanny for a Bahraini family. I worked with that family for 12 years and helped raise their three children. They were good to me.
In 1983, my husband joined me. He was employed at an exclusive Bahraini club and was well-regarded at work. Unfortunately, he died very suddenly in 1994. After my husband passed away, his employers treated me kindly. They helped me transport his body back to Sri Lanka. It was an upsetting time for my then-seven-year-old son and I. Following my husband's death, I decided that I wanted to keep living in Bahrain, so I continued working here as a nanny to support myself and my son. He attended the Sacred Heart School.
My son studied in Bahrain, then I sent him back to Sri Lanka for his high school years. When he finished school, he told me that he wanted to travel to the UK to further his studies in hotel management. Of course, as his mother, I wanted nothing more than to make his dreams come true. I had managed to save enough money for him to study abroad. He completed his studies and got a job in England. He is married and lives in England now. He is a good son and l am very proud of him.
I have continued living and working in Bahrain as a nanny to this day. I love children. I give them my affection when they are under my care. From time to time, I meet the children I once cared for and they greet me with hugs. Some of them are even grown-ups with their own children now.
In my free time, I attend many of the Sri Lankan community events in Bahrain. I love meeting new people. Although I am getting older, I am still young at heart. We have musical programs and parties, and I enjoy all the events. The young men and women in the community are like my sons and daughters, and they give me a lot of respect.
I visit Sri Lanka once every two years, but I enjoy my life here more. The people in Bahrain have been kind to me. I have been lucky."
Interviewee: Dilmar Raja (from Sri Lanka. Living in Bahrain)
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The #100 Bahrain Stories book is currently available at Neo Books and Coffee and all Jashanmal Bookstores in Bahrain. If you are not in Bahrain and would like to order a copy, please email: storiesbahrain@gmail.com