The month of March has two key dates internationally which honour women, including International Womens Day and Mother’s Day, and to celebrate the month, the team at reknowned island resort JA Manafaru spent their weekends giving back to the hard-working ladies of the Maldivian community.
Situated on the northern tip of Haa Alif atoll, a scenic 75-minute seaplane ride from Malé, the JA Manafaru beckons many families to its island paradise, where they enjoy memorable tropical escapes amidst the natural beauty of the island. JA Manafaru is a much-loved holiday destination for international tourists but is also surrounded by 3 other islands inhabited by locals- Ihavandhoo, Moladhoo, and Hoarafushi. With a tiny combined population of just under 5000, the islands were traditionally fishing islands, with the majority of the working age group being experienced fishermen. The rate of female participation in the workforce is on the rise across all of the islands.
Conscious of the true meaning of International Women’s Day and the objective of #balanceforbetter, General Manager Vlad Reyes was determined to do something meaningful for the month, particularly to honour the local ladies who are pillars of the community and work hard to improve circumstances for all.“We have collaborated with the local council to select ladies from the island women’s committee, who tutor school students, are nurses and other professions which support our community. These ladies are so deserving and we wanted to both support them and treat them for a whole month, not just for one day”.
Every weekend in March, between 3 and 6 ladies were selected and personally invited to JA Manafaru by the General Manager to pamper themselves at Calm Spa with a facial or foot massage. They were then treated to a cooking class with Chef Moosa Nazeeh , the island Head Chef and a local from Naifaru island. Chef Nazeeh specializes in Indian Ocean cuisine and has worked alongside China’s Da Dong, a chef with multiple Michelin star recognition.
JA Manafaru also held a volleyball tournament over the month of March for local women’s teams. The winning team was presented with a hamper of goodies for each of the 12 players. Commenting on the tournament, General Manager Vlad Reyes said “These women are impressive, a close-knit community who live together, work together and even take part in the sport together. Without them, we would not have a vibrant local heritage to share with our guests and we thank them for everything they do.”
