“Al -Freij Nursery” .. an experience rich in activities inspired by the local environment

The director of the “Al -Freij Nursery” project, Hamda Al -Mutawayyi, confirmed to “Emirates Today” that the design of the nursery in the Umm Al -Shif Islamic Culture Center is inspired by the Emirati environment, climate and culture, to reflect a heritage identity that enhances the association of children with their roots.

She explained that the name of the facilities inside the nursery came with Emirati heritage names that express the various stages of childhood, describing the “Arqoub” (from one year to two years) represents the smaller stage, and its name is inspired by the habit of children in the past in the love on the Ashraib before learning to walk. Then comes the “Al -Dabi” class (from two to three years), and the name symbolizes the beginning of the walking stage and the lightness of the child’s movement, similar to the antelope. As for the row of “sail” (from three to four years), it is devoted to the oldest stage, and reflects the start and the beginnings of independence, such as the sea and the sail that sails away.

Al -Mutawayyi added that the nursery includes facilities that carry an authentic Emirati character, such as the “Al -Muqali”, which is the department designated for the nap of children, and “Dakhtar Zainab”, which is the nurse’s room.

The nursery also includes the “liwan”, which is inspired by the design of old Emirati homes, where family members were gathering to eat and spend time together.

She said: «We were keen to (the liwan) to be a meeting place for all children, where the different classes meet with the mother to tell them stories and myths, and share collective activities and eat food together, which reflects the atmosphere of the Emirati house of tenderness, harmony and family year.

The “Liwan” contains several interactive pillars, including “Al -Freij Salon”, “Hawiyeh Al -Freij”, “Al -Freij”, and “Relaxation Corner” and “The Playing Corner with Water”, which gives children an experience rich in activities inspired by the local environment.

The “Al -Sala” corner is also allocated for internal play, and it is inspired by the Jumeirah Sea, while “Al -Hawi” represents the external area of the play.

On the interior design, Al -Mutawayyi explained that cooperation with the designer Fatima Khalifa Al -Hamli, a graduate of Zayed University, was made to design the nursery walls to reflect the original Emirati character.

She said: «We told her the idea of custody and the nature that we aspire to, so the design came in harmony with the environment and the local climate.

She pointed to the choice of the colors of the seasons according to the dental category, explaining that “the younger children do not distinguish the strong colors, so calm colors have been adopted, while the colors are increasingly increasing with the progress of the stage, to suit their sensory and visual needs.”

On the goals of the Al -Freij Nursery, Al -Mutawayyi indicated that the project was launched in cooperation with the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Action in Dubai and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, with the aim of consolidating the Arab, Emirati and Islamic culture in the child since its early years, through a traditional and safe educational environment in which it grows under the auspices of an Emirati educational cadre.

She added that this trend is consistent with the Dubai Social Agency 33, which aims to build a more interconnected and coherent society, and achieve comprehensive development in the emirate, with a focus on the family as a basic and central pillar in building society.

Regarding the future expansion, Al -Matawayyi revealed that a new branch will open in the next academic year 2025/2026 in the Islamic Cultural Center, and will include elements inspired by the nature of the environment in the Al -Mizhar region.

Al -Mutawayyi pointed out that the presence of “Al -Freij mothers” alongside children inside the nursery, since its inception in the last academic year, contributed to achieving many educational and psychological goals, and had a clear impact on children’s behavior and their emotional stability.

She explained that the presence of “Umm Al -Freij” around the child achieved a kind of reassurance and containment similar to what was provided by grandmothers in the homes in the past, in light of the parents’ preoccupation today and the difficulty of the continuous meeting between children and their grandparents.

She added: “Today the child may only see his grandmother once a week, so the presence of Al -Farj mothers inside the nursery enhances the child’s sense of safety, enhances the language of dialogue, and gives him the warmth of the family outside the walls of the house.”

She also indicated that this role is not limited to the child, but rather a real opportunity for the participating mothers to be part of the labor market, and occupy their time in the morning in an activity that benefits them and children, by transferring the Emirati heritage to new generations.

She explained that the affiliation of the “Al -Freij mothers” to the nursery is subject to a set of conditions, most notably that the applicant is one of the citizens of the Emirates, and does not work currently, and exceeds the age of 50 years, in addition to passing an interview conducted by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai.

She pointed out that mothers work as an integrated team throughout the day while children are in the nursery, with the continuous coordination between them.

She emphasized that the grandmothers represent a mirror of the authentic Emirati customs and habits, and transfer to children vocabulary from the local dialect, which contributes to enhancing their identity, especially since many of them face weakness in the Arabic language and tend to use English, due to the effect of auxiliary labor.

For her part, one of the “mothers of Al -Freij”, Sheikha Al -Dhahiri, who is in the work experience for the first time, expressed her happiness at the initiative, noting that her role as a grandmother at home made her more keen to speak with children in Arabic.

She added, “I felt that my presence among them would enable me to support their mother tongue. Since joining the nursery, I have touched a noticeable improvement in their Arabic language, and I have enjoyed a lot of my time with them, so that they call me the title (the bosom of custody) because of my way of dealing with them, and I am keen to embrace them and calm them, especially when they feel fear or discomfort, or when they join the nursery recently ». Al -Dhahiri also confirmed that she is keen to teach children an authentic Emirati vocabulary such as “Hood” when entering the class, and “closest” and “hello”, praising the role of the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Action in consolidating the Emirati and Islamic identity of the young, and enhancing their connection to their culture through these pioneering initiatives.

In turn, the teacher Sarah Al -Attar, who is in her first experience in working with nurseries, expressed her happiness to participate in this project, noting the distinction of the curriculum that combines classical Arabic and Emirati culture in a modern educational environment.

Sheikha Al -Dhahiri:

I make sure to teach children an authentic Emirati vocabulary such as “Hood” when entering the class. And “closely” and “hello”.