“She’s been there to wipe my tears when things were rough and to show our family strength when we needed it.”
It’s not uncommon for households in the UAE to have nannies. Some families will have a part-time one, others will have a small army of childcare helpers.
Realising this, start-up company Rise organised the inaugural Best Nanny Awards to help put a spotlight on the importance that nannies have in UAE households, as well as drawing attention to the welfare of domestic workers.
Well, the votes came in on November 19, and the UAE’s best nanny has just been named.
SO WHO TOOK THE TITLE?
Filipina Lorina Bunio (Anya), 29, won the 2016 Best Nanny Awards, claiming the prize money of Dhs5,000.
Speaking about Anya, her employer Sharene told7Days: “Being a single working mom of an almost four-year-old and a one-year-old is not easy.”
Anya (left) and her employer Sharene (right). Still nannying even on her big night!
“Anya is the glue that holds our family together. She is the loving second mother to our girls. She is a caring sister to me. She’s been there to wipe my tears when things were rough and to show our family strength when we needed it.
“One only needs to be around her for a few minutes to feel the beautiful, bright, loving soul that she is and if anyone deserves to win this, she really does.”
“This is really an unexpected blessing,” Bunio told Gulf News. “I think I give 100 per cent of my best and honesty in my work.”
The nanny revealed she is sending the prize money home, where it will be used to set up a family business.
To nominate their nanny, families were asked to post a picture or a video of themselves showing why they thought their nanny was the best.
The 10 nannies with the most likes were chosen and then interviewed by Rise’s panel of experts.
Read:
5 UAE-Based Charities You Should Be Supporting
UAE Charities Making A Difference
What You Need To Know About Breast Cancer
Here’s a video that explains the rules:
WHAT WERE THE NANNIES ASSESSED ON?
The winning nannies were asked to flaunt their knowledge on the following:
1. Their ability to build a caring and nurturing environment for the children.
2. Their ability to enforce healthy eating habits in the children.
3. Their support with the child’s development and learning.
4. Their understanding of child safety and emergency handling.
Speaking to 7Days, mum-of-two Nishita Shah, who nominated her Filipina nanny of nine years said: “They work really hard so that we can do whatever we want. We trust them 100 per cent and they have a lot more control over our families than we ourselves do.
“This is a great way to show our gratitude to the nannies.
“My daughter, when she was 5, if anyone would ask her ‘where are you from?’ she would say, ‘I am half Indian, half Palestinian and half Filipino’. That’s how much my daughter loves her nanny.”
Images: Getty, Facebook
