RIYADH, 16 March 2007 — From a distance, the villas inside the Al-Rabwa Housing Compound look like any other villas found in highly lucrative compounds across the Kingdom. However, Al-Rabwa is different as it functions as a orphanage providing orphans with a unique home-like atmosphere.
According to Al-Riyadh newspaper, Al-Rabwa is home to 65 orphans who live in 11 villas each of which have their own living rooms, dining rooms, three bedrooms and kitchens. Five to six children of various ages live in each villa with two responsible women looking after them. One of the women takes the responsibility of the “mother” while the other assumes the role of an “aunt.” The children are brought up together as brothers and sisters.
Hisa Al-Muhana, manager at Al-Rabwa, said that a lot of care is taken in giving the youngsters a friendly and homely atmosphere. “We take the different nature of children into consideration. They are spread out in 27 different schools and there are 10 supporting teachers who help the children in the evening with their homework,” said Al-Muhana.
The orphanage includes a library, a computer room, a games hall and a gym. Like other children, orphans at Al-Rabwa have their own toys, are given privacy and provided with their own individual favorite meals and drinks.
Mashael is 16 years old and was living at a conventional girls’ orphanage before coming to Al-Rabwa, which she describes as a “delightful place to live in.” “My life has changed dramatically since I joined my new family. I feel more relaxed and independent. I have my own room, and I get to choose the furniture I want in my room and the meals I love. I can even do my homework whenever I want,” she said, adding, “I really feel like I’m living in a real home with a real mother and family. I help my ‘mother’ clean the house and help her wash and even iron the clothes.”
Hala, a 19-year-old budding poetess, introduced herself by reading some of poetry she had composed. Speaking about the orphanage she used to live in before coming to Al-Rabwa, she said: “There are hardly any children here from the girls’ orphanage that I used to live in. It was hard to move away from there and come to this totally different place. It has been an experience in itself.
“However, after having moved here I have settled in well. I have managed to cope and develop a sense of belonging. I share emotions and responsibilities with my ‘mother’ and siblings. I enjoy it here.”
Hala came across as someone with a promising future in poetry. In one of her poems she described how people were becoming more materialistic, and in another she praised one of her former “mothers” at the compound who recently died. Hala was particularly attached to her.
Basma is a Grade 4 pupil who has been living at the compound for the past three years. On account of her soft voice and singing talents, Basma sings at school parties and other events. “After coming here I learned that I was talented and now I am working at further developing my skills. Living in a semi-home environment made me more aware of my talents and more confident of my abilities,” she said.
Fawzia, 16, says she initially found it difficult to adjust to her new environment. However, over time she says she has been able to engage herself with her “family” and now feels comfortable. “I decorated my room with dark and light pink color but I kept the floor white to reflect my future,” said Fawzia.
Living together as brothers and sisters allows the orphans to develop a sense of belonging to the home and share the same feelings as their assumed “mothers” and “aunts,” who meticulously work to provide children with the love and care they deserve.
The task of “mothers” is also highly demanding. Besides supporting the children emotionally, the “mother” has to manage the home and remains at the compound five days a week only to return home during the weekend. Over the weekend the “aunt” takes control of the home meeting the needs of the children under her care.
Mashael Al-Wadman, a psychologist and an acting mother at the compound, said: “Every child needs a mother and a home-like environment to be able to naturally develop. Children are gifts from God and we should protect them.”
Al-Wadman is the longest serving “mother” at the compound and is relatively older than the other “mothers.” She has two children. Al-Wadman visits her children at the weekends. “This isn’t a job but rather a natural human duty that I feel I just have to do. It is very satisfying,” she said.
Amal is another acting mother at the compound. Amal says she tries hard to motivate the children and says she provides them with support and stands by their sides. “They are my children. I deal with them as if they are my real children. My own children are currently being looked after by their dad,” she said.
Badria Al-Dossary, who is single, also enjoys playing the role of “mother.” “Our life at the compound is exactly like that of normal people. We go out together to malls and restaurants. I even visit schools to check how the kids are doing,” she said.
The Al-Rabwa compound is set to welcome a “new family” bringing the total number of “families” at the compound to 12, said Al-Muhana. “There are all sorts of activities that children can participate in including praying together, visiting the library, the computer room and exercising at the gym. The children are also trained to clean their homes and cook. There are also different trips arranged for families. Older girls can attend lectures and also participate in different training courses.”
So how long do orphans remain at the compound? “Girls stay at the compound until they get married. After that we keep in touch with them to make sure they are safe and happy. Boys, as they get older, get transferred to male-only residents,” Al-Muhana said, adding that there are no restrictions on accepting children into the compound.
“Each home has two young boys and three to four girls. We tend to place children of different ages together to correspond with the way normal families operate,” said Al-Muhana, adding that acting “mothers” and “aunts” are carefully selected.
“We interview them rigorously and test their skills and capabilities in dealing with children,” she said, adding that acting “mothers” and “aunts” are also asked to monitor the academic progress of children at school.
“They also need to attend parents’ meetings. Of course ‘mothers’ and ‘aunts’ are unable to visit male schools and so we usually telephone the schools and inquire how the kids are doing,” she said.
To the orphans, Al-Rabwa is an oasis of happiness providing the less well-off with a better future. Al-Rabwa is a physical testimony to some of the good work that is taking place in the Kingdom.