The passing away of 79-year old Shamila, a live-in domestic helper, who was provided due care in her sick bed and given a proper funeral rite by the family she had helped and worked for all those years, is a heartwarming story of how benevolent people treat live-in domestic workers in our society but often go untold.
With the changing times, the need for live-in domestic workers has increased in our society. Today, it has become a norm for a family to depend on a helper or a domestic worker. The hardships domestic workers face on a daily basis are talked about and in the past few years, we have also witnessed the abuse and physical violence meted out to domestic workers that was splattered all over the news. Such atrocities committed against domestic workers by few have besmirched the image of our society. Weighted down by the demands of social justice, we rarely talk about the numerous untold yet heartening stories of benign families and their uplifting deeds towards their live-in helpers. Guess only the bad news make news these days.
Senti was eight years old when she came to Mokokchung Town. A family took her in and she has been living with them for the past eighteen years now. She has recently completed her graduation from a reputed college and her ‘foster parents’ are now helping her in finding a decent job. ”All these years, they have been very considerate towards me and I am thankful to be a part of the family,” says Senti.
“I came to live here as a helper at the age of nine. After I passed out the 12th standard from a private school, my foster mom enrolled me in college but soon I realized that college wasn’t meant for me; so I gave up the idea of further studies. In order to motivate me, my foster mom enrolled me into a Montessori Training Institute. Today, I am a teacher in a Montessori School and earning a decent livelihood. I am now able to provide for the education of my younger siblings,” narrates Kati.
Household helpers are often looked down upon by some people because they are ‘servants’. Yes, they serve but they are also people with feelings. They live with us because circumstances compelled them to, not because they are lesser humans. They make sacrifices while still young for which they deserve respect and admiration. We need them as much as they need us. Showing them a little love, kindness and fair-mindedness goes a long way in making us better humans.
(This column is an attempt to project the humane side of the issue. Note that the legalities involved, which are many, have not been addressed here; and that abuse of, or violence against, any domestic helper in any form whatsoever is not condoned. Names of the persons in this column have been changed to protect their identities.)
Mokokchung Times