An Ethiopian woman working as a maid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been praised for taking care of two children for months after their mother abandoned them.
Police in Ajman said the Ethiopian woman took care of the two boys for about 16 months. The mother of the children disappeared a day after hiring the Ethiopian maid in November 2017.
According to Captain Wafa Khalil Al Housanu, director of the city’s Social Centre, a neighbor called authorities on March 2 out of concern for the children.
Authorities say the father of the two boys is in jail in relation to a drug case. And their mother, who ran away, is a fugitive facing criminal charges. She was later found hiding at a friends house.
“The mother had evaded her responsibility in taking care of her children and leaving them at the mercy of an absconded main for 16 months,” Captain Al Housani said.
The Ethiopian maid was reportedly working for another family but took out time to take care of the children. She made a friend look over the children at night while she worked to make money to provide food and clothing for them.
After a search for other family members of the children, police have located their grandmother. Officials say it was an emotional scene as they tried to separate the boys from the Ethiopian maid. The boys reportedly cried as they were taken away.
Police thanked the maid for her selfless kindness. UAE authorities have canceled all the fines against her and provided her with an airline ticket and money to travel back home to Ethiopia.
