Mums in Colombo: More power to strong women building relationships
You’ve got a new baby and a mortgage to pay for, so what is it gonna be? Returning to work or staying home to raise Junior? Today’s stay-at-home mom (SAHM) is nothing like what you are familiar with which makes you forget everything you’ve heard about stay-at-home moms.
A new generation that is more empowered is starting own businesses, blogging and working at home. Mums in Colombo, a Sri Lankan online forum for mothers, including mums-to-be and grandmothers, further validates this new phenomenon as a forum encouraging reaching out, connect, discuss and debate issues of interest; encouraging women to speak freely on topics that concern them, thereby striving to empower while building relationships of SAHM.
A workshop organised by mums in Colombo.
This online social community, celebrating its fourth year, now boasts a solid and rapidly growing membership currently numbering 25,000. The page also reaches 65,000 people on average on Facebook every week.
Birds of a feather
Co-founder Amber Habib-Vitarana says this online business model was modelled on similar forums in the Middle East and the West, but more localised to suit the Sri Lankan palette. “Community is a natural phenomenon, an attitude and a way of engagement. With so many women staying at home to raise their small ones, such a meeting place was welcome. I have plenty of friends with related experiences in parenting, counselling, shopping, fitness, etc. in this forum. Most are Colombo-based and most are SAHM,” she told the Business Times. She says that all of these SAHM have something in common: a profound want to be there for every moment of their babies’ lives—the good, the bad and the incredibly messy. If you’re considering life as a SAHM, mums in Colombo imparts insight and advice from experts and moms who’ve seen ‘it through’, she adds.
Apparently, some 75 per cent of their members are mothers and single women while 3 per cent are males! This forum is also the essence of social business as it also functions as a platform for interaction. “We build relationships and networks of trust, we bring together women with common interests from diverse backgrounds, and we engage with the subjects that matter to this specific group of people. Like any online community, we are powered by exchanging and sharing content and information, but we also leverage the emotional dimension of an online community, creating a safe space for women to explore the nature and challenges of parenting in the 21st century,” Ms. Habib-Vitarana says. She adds that Mums in Colombo functions like any other communications network – it’s all about establishing and reinforcing connections between people. “By giving the online mums the ability to interact with each other, their businesses can build new and deeper relationships with customers,” she says.
The members of Mums in Colombo belong to a key demographic – women aged between 24 and 54 years. “Our membership represents decision makers who are responsible for making the right choices for their families; our community brings together a critical mass of potential consumers, and can function as an important source of feedback.” The business model adopted by Mums in Colombo takes advantage of Internet culture, building an electronic community to meet multiple social and commercial needs.
Donating bassinets
This community is identified by a specific focus, to help potential members readily understand what kind of resources they are likely to find there and to help community organizers determine the full range of resources which may be required to meet members’ needs such as mothers seeking advice from other mums. The community posts cover a wide range of topics from volunteer opportunities in Colombo to donating bassinets, mixing serious discussion such as natural birth versus C Sections with light banter. The diversity of the membership is an important asset in these exchanges, as it guarantees multiple perspectives on a single issue.
This is a place for parents to find almost any service they require such as tuition, Swimming Classes, Speech and Drama, Singing and Voice Training, Preschool Education, Montessoris, Preschool, Party Supplies, Party Planners, children’s Entertainment, Fitness Health and Fitness, Day Care, Dance Lessons, Caterers and Short-Eats and Savoury Snacks, Cakes and Desserts. The community’s electronic magazine, features articles on contemporary issues impacting children and parents, and generates real time discussion. The Teenage Blogger posts, written by a teenager for Mums in Colombo, tackle difficult topics such as depression, bullying and sibling rivalry from a teen’s perspective.
Mums in Colombo has expanded relationship building beyond its online presence, inviting members to participate in a monthly book club, workshops on parenting, on being a woman, conducting annual garage sales, swap parties and food fiestas. The events aim to create a sense of camaraderie and togetherness, while achieving practical outcomes. Ms. Habib-Vitarana says that their website gives members the capability to compare and aggregate their experiences, which in turn creates for them a fuller range of information with which members can make more informed, cost-effective decisions on what resources they need.
“We are also very conscious about ‘giving back’ and using the power of the Mums in Colombo community to help wherever we can.” Last year they had a shoebox project and collected 250+ shoeboxes full of toys for the Maharagama Children’s Hospital. “This year to commemorate Mothers Day, we focused on children with special needs, producing and filming a video at Chitra Lane School, and developing a range of specially themed mugs using artwork provided by the children at the school. The collection was sold online and the entire profit went back to Chitra Lane.”