Tears of a Domestic Worker

These are anthologies about domestic workers and their madams. I worked a few times as a domestic worker and experienced hands on hardship of what these determined women go through. Being shouted by madam, her husband and children. It surprised me that in South Africa have 22 years of democracy but still have madams who call their domestic workers "girls." I mean a 40 year woman being called a "Girl" by a 24 year woman. You find an old man called a "garden boy." Madam's kids calling the domestic worker by name not showing respect. I worked for one old woman who demanded respect, yet she "didn't do unto others what she would like them to do to her." Her 15 year old grand-son called me by my name. The day I got angry is when he said "hey Doreen, would you please iron for me this t-shirt." Some people become domestic workers due to poverty, illiteracy due to various reasons. There are domestic workers who have Grade 12 but did not get funds to pay for further studies. I was hurt in this industry and asked God to help me. God told me I was not the only one suffering as a domestic worker and must write a book about it. Madams, husbands, and their children out there to treat domestic workers and gardeners as people like them. Realizing that a domestic worker have a life, have emotions, can be hurt by words, works hard to feed her family. Some of these madams and their families suffer calamities that they cannot explain due to all the pain they caused their domestic workers and laborers over the years. Such bosses do not seem to understand why they suffer, having wealth and power but no peace and no health. I met one domestic worker who quit her job because her madam would not give her time off. The domestic worker's teenage girl was coughing blood. The domestic worker was from the village at least 50 km from the city. She asked her madam time off in order to take her ill child to the hospital. Madam refused to give the domestic worker time off. She did not respond to the request. That was on a Thursday, the next day, Friday, the madam, the husband and children went to the shopping mall after work. They left the domestic worker in the house, worrying about her ill child. The domestic worker quit the job. She said to me "I take good care of this woman's children. She is with her children every day. Couldn't she allow me to take my child to the hospital. What if my child had to die. I know I'm poor and need work, but I cannot work from a heartless woman like this. She is a mother and should know how it feels when a child is sick. I know I don't have the money, my husband is a pensioner and I get Child Support Grant. With this little money I will manage to care for my family." Amongst domestic workers who suffer are mostly Zimbabweans who entered the country illegally. They are exploited, over-worked and underpaid. They don't complain to Department of Labor because they are illegal refugees. They endure hardship and move from one job to the other. One Zimbabwean domestic worker said to me "my sister I know I'm suffering but I do not just accept any work. If madam have dogs and wants me to clean I refuse. In Zimbabwe, women are not allowed to clean up dog mess. It is regarded bad luck." In South Africa there are domestic workers who clean dog mess as part of their daily duties.