Networking for Expat Mums

Mum-Networking for Expats – EMK offers advice, support for expat mothers in Kuwait

Baby steps. That’s what most people take when they move to Kuwait. Step one: Landing a job. Step two: Find and furnish a flat. Step three: Acquire rudimentary kamikaze driving skills necessary for surviving Kuwait’s roads. Further down the list are the ‘softer’ to-dos, finding friends and social activities to stave off the boredom and loneliness.

Three mums new to Kuwait found a way to jump feet first into life in Kuwait. They created a community group for mums and kids, Expats Mums in Kuwait. Founder and leader of Expat Mums in Kuwait (EMK) Iffat Davies, along with co founders Alaa Hammad and Alicia Chatila, envisioned an online community that would help expat mums in Kuwait in real life.

Being pregnant, having a baby and raising a family in Kuwait can be a daunting anywhere in the world but is further complicated by being an expatriate in a country where you may not speak the language. EMK tries to help. A forum for expat mums in Kuwait to meet and share information, EMK members offer advice on everything mum and kids-related – where to find cloth diapers to reviews of schools, pediatricians, playgrounds and parks.

Group members also meet up regularly for coffee mornings, playdates and picnics as well as family events including a children’s party last November at the Little Gym in Jabriya, and even workouts in the park.

“My experience of the group has been amazing,” explains Zoe Foster, a recently arrived expatriate mum. “Most of the forum posts are relevant, and by searching the forum I can often find an answer to a question. If not, by posting a question someone always knows the answer. Through events and playdates, I have met a wonderful group of friends that have made Kuwait feel like home very, very quickly!”

Members live all over Kuwait and represent nationalities from North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. “I like that there are mums (like me) but from different cultures and backgrounds. I find that so mind opening and knowledgeable,” said Dina El Gindy, mother of a three- year- old who recently moved to Kuwait.

EMK recently celebrated its one year anniversary, an important turning point in the life of any community group in Kuwait. To mark the occasion, the founders held a picnic at the Green Island and launched a new website, http://expatmumskwi.blogspot.com/ 

Online, the group offers a forum for questions and information, classifieds and reviews of local businesses. “I love EMK because it helps in so many ways. Just being able to connect with other moms, to ask questions and to get answers is great. But more than that, I get the chance to meet other women and make playdates for my small children. I also find other mothers who have dealt with some of the same problems and challenges I face, living as an expat in Kuwait and their advice sometimes makes all the difference,” said a young mother of two  and member of EMK.

The non-profit group is open to all English-speaking expatriate mums and mums-to-be in Kuwait. Membership is free and members are required to use their real names in order to ensure a safe and friendly environment.

By Jamie Etheridge

To contact EMK, please email Iffat Davies at info@expatmumsmwi.com.

LWDLIK - Thank you Jamie and Kuwait Times.