The negative stories often associated with househelps and childminders at daycare centres make a lot of working mothers to be sceptical about employing them or entrusing their children and ward under their care, even when they can conveniently afford to pay for their services.
The attitude of the chidminders, the lack of attention given to the children and the poor facilities in some of these daycare centres leave much to be desired. Do mothers really have a choice? Entrusting one’s child into the hands of househelps and childminders nowadays is viewed by a lot of women as necessary evil. The child must be kept under somebody’s care while she is away at work. This is not the era of being a full-time housewife, many say. Gone are those good old days when women were lucky to have relations such as mother, sister or aunt that can keep watch over their children while away at the the farm or the market.
Everybody is struggling to make ends meet. Hence most working mothers fall back on househelps or child minders in daycare centres to do the job for them. It is only a mother that can truly understand that satisfying feeling of leaving her child in the custody of someone she trusts when she sets out to go to work in the morning. The feeling is quite gratifying knowing that her child is in safe hands. Women in paid employment often grapple with the role of being a competent, responsible mother, wife and a professional.
Striking a balance between the three could be very difficult and stressful. Moreso, when she has to shuttle between locations to perform this job. Thanks to Governor Nogheghase Obaseki who conceived the idea of building a creche within the state secretariat for the convenience of nursing and working mothers. This initiative really goes to show that Governor Obaseki truly understands that employee welfare is extricably tied to work productivity.
Given such incentive like this, mothers can comfortably relax in their offices to do their job knowing that their children are close by. It also affords breastfeeding mothers to take a break during lunch hour to breastfeed their children. The creche is located behind Block C in a serene environment, and the building when completed, according to the managing director of Edo State Public Building and Maintenance Agency, Engr. Austin Osakue, will consist of a reception hall/lounge, manager/secretary’s office, restroom, classrooms, canteen, sickbay as well as a courtyard, which will serve as a playground for the children.
With the speed at which work is currently going on at the site, in no time the creche would be ready for use. The long awaited dream of mothers has indeed come to reality in Governor Obaseki’s administration. It is indeed a laudable project that will give mothers a lot of respite.
