How To Be More Than Just "Desert Housewives"

IT'S A KNOWN fact that the professional environment in Saudi Arabia is dominated by men - Saudis and non-Saudis alike. Men who have families usually have wives sitting at home, most of the time doing nothing but housework and attending to their husbands or children. It is a particularly common scenario with OFWs, who are able to bring their wives and families with them to the Kingdom courtesy of a dependent visa. However, despite the "luxurious" idea of coming to a different country and expecting to be adorned by their husbands with gold jewelry (and of course, the quality time they've missed after being apart), wives often find themselves stuck at home while their husbands go to work, often feeling like a desert-ed housewife! (Minus the actual "Desperate Housewives" drama I hope!)

Once they arrive here, their usual comments would be: "Ang boring boring naman dito! Walang magawa!" (It's so boring here, there's nothing to do!). I remember almost twenty years ago when my mother and I first arrived here, my mom would always say that the streets were so "lonely" and that you could barely see one or two persons out in the residential area...unlike in the Philippines where the hustle and bustle of the city can easily seep through the subdivisions.

As an OFW's wife living in the Philippines, you at least had the liberty of riding your own car, traveling alone, going to a cinema or museum to amuse yourself -- amidst the responsibility of keeping your home and caring for your children. However, as an OFW's wife living in SAUDI ARABIA, your choices of having a productive and fulfilling time can be very, VERY limited. Most of the time, husbands are reluctant to allow their wives to go ride taxis on their own, and/or they might go home too tired from work to even drive their wives around the city at night. And it certainly doesn't help the men when The Pink Tarha announces the sale alerts, 'eh? :P

So ladies, what can you do to spare yourself from seeing TV Patrol World and Wowowee twice on the same day? Could your days as a housewife in Riyadh be more interesting at the very least?

In my growing up here, I've seen several housewives take their idle time as an opportunity to come up with ways to, dare I say, "re-invent" themselves. Here are the most common ventures that bored OFW housewives can do to pass the time (and maybe even make some extra moolah!):

1. Round up some babies (and kids!): It's probably the most common occupation for Pinay housewives here. Families who both have working parents usually need a place for their children to stay at during the day. And since not all families can afford hiring a "yaya" in their own homes or enrolling them to daycare right away, there are hundreds of parents looking for a reliable and trustworthy babysitter for their children. There are those housewives who only take one or two kids while other homes can accommodate up to almost 20 children!

While initially, the goal is to just have something to do and not feel "too alone" in the house, once they realize that they can handle more children and that they are good at it (or some just want to earn a lot of money), then they decide to expand their services. If you already have your own children with you here to deal with, but would like to pursue babysitting, I suggest taking one child at a time. You know, one alone can be a handful. If you are here all by yourself, by all means, hoard as many as you can. Just make sure that you would take care of them as you would your own children. Babysitting can definitely occupy your time at home and maybe even harness those momma skills you got!

2. Get cooking. You know how they say that once you're married, you should know how to feed your husband? Well, we're going under the assumption that most of you out there CAN cook...SOMETHING (I know, some may have a more talented cook for a husband). Whether its Filipino meals and delicacies or pastry products, if you have a passion for cooking, you have all the time to practice at home. Once you master a particular dish, you can try selling it to your friends and neighbors and see what they think of it. A lot of catering and made-to-order meals have become popular within the Filipino community here in Riyadh, and most of them started with housewives who were just sitting at home and had a bright idea come their way. What first was one, two orders of "pancit" or "chocolate cake," slowly and steadily grew and had more regular customers. Some had even grown to the point where it has become a catering business or become a restaurant itself. If this is your cup of tea, one suggestion is to pace yourself. You never know how fast word can spread about your cooking and you might feel overwhelmed when a lot of orders come your way. Try setting some terms within what you can and will be able to deliver. Remember, you still have your husband/family to cook for first above anyone else.

I suggest visiting TitaMariyah's website at: www.titamariyah.bravehost.com and Nadia's Bake Fresh blog: http://bakefresh.blogspot.com for inspirational women who took their talent, honed it and are now more than just housewives living in Saudi Arabia!

3. Tune up your music, arts, and teaching skills. Another popular venture for housewives here is teaching piano, guitar, and music to children. Some even teach arts and crafts, like painting or sketching. Years ago, I had a close friend whose mom put up a music school right in their own home. They taught kids how to play the piano, guitar, violin, offered voice lessons and even had recitals by the end of each term. Again, your number of students can depend on your own capacity and availability. If you are musically gifted and would like to share this gift, you can advertise yourself and encourage young ones to pursue their potentials in music and arts.


Another option would be to tutor a particular subject. Say you were an engineering graduate back home but you are unable to find work here in that field, you can offer services as a tutor in math or any related subject. This gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge within the comforts of your own home. Otherwise, you can always apply for a teaching position in the Philippine schools in the Kingdom.

4. Networking prowess. Some housewives who have children studying in the schools here spend a lot of time in the school's premises just waiting for their children to finish class. It's there where they meet fellow moms and are able to socialize. You can use this opportunity to stretch your inner-saleswoman. There are several wives/moms who engage themselves in selling AVON, Oriflame, Natasha products and other networking businesses. If you used to be in marketing in the Philippines and have an interest in sales, this would be a simple place to start.

This photo was taken from this website.

5. Look for actual professional employment. It's going to be much more of a challenge since there aren't a lot of job opportunities for women here unless you are a nurse or a secretary by profession. But it is not impossible. Applying as secretaries or teachers is the most common occupation for OFW wives here, and often the most probable. Working with a company/school will be more demanding than the home businesses I suggested, but hey, if your husband supports you in it, why not? At least your career won''t experience a full stop just because you came to KSA.

Waiting around for husbands to get home and have them adorn you with gold jewels and fancy gifts is nothing to complain about really. That's what most Arab women do. But we're Filipinos and we're industrious and we like being active, so if you are one of those women who feel bored at home and is reading our blog, I hope you find my suggestions helpful. Just promise me that even though you'd start venturing out now, you'd still come by and visit The Pink Tarha blog! Oh, and remember, family should still come first!

Cheers!
-ec-