DUBAI // In terms of the awkward conversations parents can be forced into having with their children, it must rank as one of the hardest. The day when the parent must admit that things are not exactly as the child was led to believe.
The day the child's curiosity gets too much and their mother has to tell them they are not living in a hotel, or on a long holiday. The day they tell them they are living in a jail - and always have been.
It is a conversation that DM, a Nigerian mother at the Dubai Female Prison in Al Aweer, can remember all too well. In June 2008, when she was eight months pregnant, she was sentenced to six months in prison for an unspecified financial crime. She is still there and has little hope of leaving, as she will not be released until she settles debts of Dh994,000.
Meanwhile, her daughter, who was born at the beginning of her sentence, has since turned into a precocious toddler who is quick to spot when mum isn't telling the truth.
"I still remember the exact date of when my daughter asked me where we are, she was two years and nine months," says DM, struggling to fight back her tears. "I told her that we were in a five-star hotel. She just looked at me and told me 'mama why are you telling lies?'"
Her daughter is one of 43 children, all below the age of five, who call the prison home. Many have lived at the jail since birth.
According to the law, female prisoners are allowed custody of their children up to the age of two. However, Dubai Police make exceptions for some of the children, for various reasons. Some have no other family member to stay with. There is a separate wing for the mothers, who stay in cells of four beds, rather than the standard six.
KN, a 34-year-old Filipina, was pregnant when she was sent to the prison in November 2010 to serve a three-month sentence, also for an unspecified financial crime. She was taken to Latifa Hospital in May 2011 to give birth and returned to the prison shortly after with a daughter she describes as her only source of strength.
She too has outstayed her original sentence, but is unable to settle her debts of Dh77,000 - money she has little hope of finding.
The Filipina is torn between wanting to be near her daughter but not wanting to see her grow up behind bars. "As a mother I do not want her here but without her I would have gone crazy," she says. Having the little girl around makes it easier to be away from her other two children, who are in the Philippines.
"I do not want my baby to pay the price. I wish to get out soon so she can grow up outside prison," says the Filipina, wiping her tears so they do not fall on to her daughter who is sitting on her lap.
"It is not easy to have grown up in this environment. I am scared of the day when I need to tell her where we are … it is not easy to grasp the idea of being born in prison," she says.
But it is a conversation all the parents must have, sooner or later. While some of the children will believe the stories they are told, many will be more sceptical.
The mothers have plenty of tales about their children that demonstrate just how different their lives are to a normal upbringing. DM recalls that a boy was terrified when he saw a lorry for the first time, and the children often look puzzled when they see a man, as they come across so few at the prison.
One of the most popular games for the children to play is prisoners and prison guard.
In an effort to bring some normality to the children's lives, the prison administration has in the past year introduced the "happy room", a small nursery where children can play.
Major Soad Saeed, the head of the prison, says: "Providing these children with an appropriate environment is one of our biggest challenges." In an effort to meet this challenge the prison is building a new section for the children on a 200-square-metre plot. The building will include a play area, a teaching room and a small medical centre. But despite the effortsthe situation is far from perfect.
Second Lt Fatma Shair Al Mazmi, head of the follow-up unit at the prison, suggests the prisoners and their children would benefit more from a specialised rehabilitation centre, rather than a traditional jail.
"I understand the benefit of having the children with their mothers at such an early age but it simply cannot be good for them," she says.
wissa@thenational.ae
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
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The UAE's journey to space
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
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HOW TO WATCH
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
