Chinie Jane Ching F
or the past 12 months, Dubai-based flight attendant Chinie Jane Ching has been passionately dedicating her time to saving newborn babies by giving her breastmilk for free. Currently, Ching is on her 350 liters of breastmilk and counting--supporting mothers who are low in supply, mothers who are under medical complications, premature babies, babies who are in isolation facilities, Covid-19 survivor mothers, and babies who lost their mother because of the disease.
and loving. Because of this, more and more mothers, especially those who are blessed with breastmilk, join this undertaking to help newborns,” she added.
The Filipina ‘hero’ has been living and working in the UAE now for nearly eight years. Just very recently, Ching was honored to be awarded ‘Excellence in Humanitarian Service Award’ by Prodigy Bureau Global and among the 15 Ordinary Women with Extraordinary Works in the Community.
Being in Dubai
Ching, who has also a toddler, has already donated breastmilk to more than 20 babies in the UAE. Aside from this advocacy, the flight attendant also advocates the true spirit of bayanihan not just to her fellow Filipinos abroad, but also to other nationalities. “I am humbled and it makes me happy because my advocacies reveal that we, Filipinos, are naturally helpful
30
image credit: supplied
OFW who passionately saves babies through her breastmilk completes Caregiver course
TGFM | MAY2021
“Not all superheroes have superpowers. Some just take a cooler and breast pump! This is the very reason why I am so passionate and dedicated with my advocacy because I believe that this God’s given gift, our children will be better, stronger, and healthier next generation,” she further added.
To be a flight attendant was her ultimate goal. When the opportunity knocked, she didn’t hesitate to grab it. “When UAE opened its skies to all dreamers, I grabbed that opportunity to apply. My mother came to Dubai and witnessed how beautiful the place is. It was love at first sight. When I told my mom that I wanted to move to Dubai, she supported me fully,” she recalled. Despite finishing a Bachelor of Science and Tourism, Ching has decided to study Caregiver at the Filipino Institute. With no physical supervision with her mother during her pregnancy due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she finished the
24-week diploma course in the hopes to apply the learned skills to properly look after her baby. “As a first-time mom, being away from my mother is really challenging. Although my doctor and nurses were so informative about taking care of a newborn, having her by my side is a different thing. That’s why I enrolled myself in the virtual class. I saw that opportunity to improve myself so I can give the best care that I can possibly give to my daughter,” she added. Although she was part of the virtual classes, Ching said the class wasn’t boring as their trainer made it informative and convenient for working mothers like her. When asked about her advice to those who are currently studying at the Filipino Institute: “Keep it going because you are doing the right thing. When we invest in education, we tend to make better decisions. More doors of opportunities will be open and it will help you to earn and help more. Above all education is the only life-long investment. So keep on investing for yourself. Keep on investing in your education.”
