A domestic worker in London writes about her difficult situation. Before coming to London, she had never worked as a domestic worker. In her country, she had worked in a garment factory, but here, as a domestic worker, she makes a little bit more money to help her family back home. She is glad to be an active member of J4DW, a group of domestic workers supported by Unite the Union. Since finding out about the group, she feels better and more confident. Before, she was ashamed to speak, but she says now it’s hard to stop her! If you are a domestic worker in need of a support network, J4DW could be a valuable resource for you. Click here to find out more about it.
I am a domestic worker. I have had bad experiences but what I discovered with one employer is very different. They show no respect at all and I have a lot of friends having the same problems, even worse. Some of them never go out, sleeping on the floor, eating expired food, with no day off, no holiday pay, long hours of work, with low salary. They do not pay the minimum wage. They do not pay tax and NI. Even when they have a written contract they never follow it.
They don’t give sick pay, and along with all that, they are shouting, breaking their bodies with sticks, and throwing boiling water on them. They treat them like rubbish. They call them a cow (bagara). They call them a dog (kalba). They call them a donkey (hamara). And they call them stupid (ghabiya). And the domestic workers, they don’t understand what is the meaning of the words.
Paula shares with us her reflections on her experience as a mentor with the New Beginnings project. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, please click here.
When I started mentoring, I never for one second envisaged the enriching journey that would beckon. Certainly, life can be joyously wonderful, but difficulties can also pop up, and as a vulnerable refugee with no place to call home, these difficulties can be felt more profoundly. It is my experience that you don’t necessarily have to be a certain type of person to mentor or have a particular job to be qualified. You only need to be able to listen to what another person has to say, to empathise, and just to really see yourself in another. In the end, it is the simple things that count. Going to the cinema, seeing a nice exhibition or even going for a coffee are all invaluable when faced with immense pressure or 'rejection.' Furthermore and more significantly, it makes a huge difference, or it is rather a pleasant breath of fresh air to have someone to talk to, to share stories with, and just to partake in normal everyday activities with. It was not only possible to see the positive changes in my mentee, but I also saw positive changes within myself. Indeed, it is a journey where the mentor reaps as much as the mentee. I saw that it is possible and realistic to withstand the hurricanes and emerge stronger, wiser, kinder and more compassionate. In perfect honesty, it felt as though I did nothing but listen and turn up, but when our mentoring meetings came to an end, there was a tear in my eye, as it was truly wonderful to see my mentee confidently getting ready for her life ahead and genuinely happy about the opportunities that lay before her. I could not believe it was the same person. What quickly became clear to me is that everyone at some point benefits from a gentle word of encouragement. It felt really good to echo the message to my mentee that nobody can reject you and that things can and do improve with time.
When I started mentoring, I never for one second envisaged the enriching journey that would beckon. Certainly, life can be joyously wonderful, but difficulties can also pop up, and as a vulnerable refugee with no place to call home, these difficulties can be felt more profoundly. It is my experience that you don’t necessarily have to be a certain type of person to mentor or have a particular job to be qualified. You only need to be able to listen to what another person has to say, to empathise, and just to really see yourself in another. In the end, it is the simple things that count. Going to the cinema, seeing a nice exhibition or even going for a coffee are all invaluable when faced with immense pressure or 'rejection.' Furthermore and more significantly, it makes a huge difference, or it is rather a pleasant breath of fresh air to have someone to talk to, to share stories with, and just to partake in normal everyday activities with. It was not only possible to see the positive changes in my mentee, but I also saw positive changes within myself. Indeed, it is a journey where the mentor reaps as much as the mentee. I saw that it is possible and realistic to withstand the hurricanes and emerge stronger, wiser, kinder and more compassionate. In perfect honesty, it felt as though I did nothing but listen and turn up, but when our mentoring meetings came to an end, there was a tear in my eye, as it was truly wonderful to see my mentee confidently getting ready for her life ahead and genuinely happy about the opportunities that lay before her. I could not believe it was the same person. What quickly became clear to me is that everyone at some point benefits from a gentle word of encouragement. It felt really good to echo the message to my mentee that nobody can reject you and that things can and do improve with time. 