Linda Torres

The month of October was marked by an extremely tragic event at AIS. Linda Torres, a woman who has worked extremely hard as a maid at the school for many years, slipped in her home, bumping her head and causing irreparable brain damage. She passed away a couple of weeks ago, and it is a great loss to the AIS community. Linda was an incredibly friendly and generous woman. She was supporting four children and two grandchildren back home in the Philippines and putting her oldest daughter through nursing school on a salary that is a fraction of what the AIS teachers make. There are literally more foreign workers in Kuwait than there are Kuwaitis, both in positions like teachers and engineers as well as in jobs like taxi drivers, nannies, maids, cleaning staff, cooks, drivers, shopkeepers, etc. The majority of these workers come from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian countries. They are able to earn much higher salaries in Kuwait and other Gulf countries than they would be able to at home, and many support their entire families on the salary they make here. It is really heartbreaking, though, to think of the time that they spend away from their loved ones to secure the noble goal of a better financial future. Linda is already missed here at AIS. The school is a richer place because she chose to work here.