Mummy’s Day Out: Nine moms reunited with expat sons in UAE

Shanavas is an Indian driver who has been bedridden for a number months due to a disease that causes his brittle bones to break.

He missed his family, especially his mother, because this sick expatriate can neither travel to India, nor pay for his mother’s trip to Abu Dhabi because he has been rendered unemployed because of his disease.

Now, thanks to the initiative of a UAE radio station, his mother has been able to visit him in the UAE.

Along with her, eight other mothers of expat Indians are currently in the UAE as part of the ‘For Your Mom’, a charity show that selected the most deserving mother-son duos from over 1,000 nominations received by Hit 96.7, a Malayalam FM station, part of the Arabian Radio Network.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Midhun Ramesh, Head of Programming, Hit 96.7, said the nine mothers from Kerala were selected on the basis of recommendations made by the channel’s listeners through a week-long selection process.

“We have been very selective in helping the right kind of people who are desperate to meet their sons. Out of nine mothers that we have brought now as part of For You Mom Season 4, there are mothers who did not meet their working sons for more than 5 years.

“In the case of Shanavas, the bedridden patient could not travel to India. The paralysed man could not even dial his mobile phone but sent an SMS to our radio station requesting to nominate his mother for the programme. While other mothers are busy enjoying fun trips to various locations, Ashya Ummal, Shanavas’ mother, opted to go to Abu Dhabi to be with her sick son.

“The trip is for a few days only but in her case, we have extended the stay for another 10 days so that she can take care of her sick son. We are happy that we could strengthen the bonds of motherhood. Bedridden Shanavas is surviving with the insurance protection provided by his employer and a small salary earned by his teacher wife.”

The other winners too were happy to be united with their mothers. “I have not been able to visit India for five years as I used up my savings for the weddings of my three sisters. Even though I get air ticket every year, I saved that money and got three of my sisters married.

“Then, I brought my brother here and found him a job as a watchman. I sent an SMS, and my father and mother could see me after a long gap. I am thrilled to be with them,” said one of the winners.

“We have nine children in the family and I had to save all the money for the family. I did not get time or money to visit my family,” added another winner. The visiting mothers are staying at the Ramada Chelsea Hotel, Al Barsha, and during their stay, they have a full itinerary of places to visit Dubai from dhow cruises to shopping trips.

Among the winners is an aged woman from Malabar, Subaida Umar, whose husband died of old age and two children died due to illness. Her only son was stabbed to death in a controversial murder case leaving her helpless and lonely.

Yasser, one of the four Indian expatriates in the UAE, who have adopted the helpless mother, said: “We heard about her tragic story from newspapers. She was fighting for many years to get justice for her son’s murder case. She was sitting in front the collector’s office, demanding justice. A teargas shell exploded in her small tent, and she has developed serious health problems, including asthma. Now, we have adopted her as our mother and we are happy that we could bring her to the UAE, thanks to For You Mom programme,” he said.

“Even though I don’t have any children alive, I have got four children. Three of them are working in the UAE and I am happy to be with them. In my country, parents are being abandoned by grown-up children, forgetting the hardships and struggle that a mother or father goes through to bring up children. When they are grown up, they abandon their parents for wealth. Now, all Keralites in the UAE are my children,” said Subaida Umar.

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