In every tear that peeks through the eyes, there’s a dream waiting to be achieved. In every struggle, you get closer to the goal that you wished to hold within your hands. Like how every story each OFWs are carrying within them for years and years of struggles and hardwork. There is no guarantee that everyone will be able to achieve their dreams, not everyone will be able to reach their desired destinations. OFWs around the world solely rely on fate, and by doing that each must possess an unwavering faith as they keep moving forward.
There’s a lot to take to survive the path chosen by Filipinos who wishes to give their families the best life they could possibly provide, a dream driven journey of what every OFWs believed to be the best way they could pave way for their desired lifestyle. Without fear and unwary of the threats it poses, they set sails to an unknown land to devote years and years of their time providing services to their employers.
Hong Kong, considered being the second home of more than a hundred thousand Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Providing homecare and care giving services for both locals and immigrants, Domestic Helpers are well aware of the possible issues and problems when it comes to their welfare both mental and physical. Despite the earnest intention of providing service satisfaction on employers, unprecedented situations and events still occurs that would test both perseverance and endurance in every single domestic helper employed in the city.
To give this article a more centralized emphasis of what this all about, I the author would cite some situations of which some of my fellow Domestic Helpers have gone through. Citations from others OFWs and some would be based from my own and personal experiences. Honestly, it would be very surprising if an employed OFW would be lucky enough to be hired by a household who knows how to take care of its house helpers. While others thrive on their first times, there are quite a lot too who suffers which usually results to termination of contract.
Some employers are verbally abusive, while others treat their helpers like robots that doesn’t needs rest and could just plug themselves into the electricity socket to recharge after hours and hours of restless and unending loads of works. While others are able to get a sustainable 7-8 hours of night sleep, there are some who suffers 5 hours sleep. Some employers are quite demanding, exaggeratingly demanding to the point of neglecting their helpers’ rights to call it a day and get s good rest after a long day of work and nothing but work.
Apart from the rest and work load issues, there the issue pertaining to accommodations. In the contract signed by both the helper and employer, every helper is entitled with their privacy or at least a private place for them to enjoy their rest after work. However, given the expensive and sizes of apartment units in the city it has been difficult for helpers to receive a proper accommodation. While some are lucky enough to be given a single room with the size of a coffin, there are those who sleep in the corridors, storage rooms where supplies are stocked, a bed near the washing machine, shares room with the kids and a corner in the kitchen which are also used for storage.
Despite the disagreement and complaints from both pro-helpers organizations from both Hong Kong locals who believed the importance of carrying out what were written in the employment contract together with the Indonesia and Philippines’ representatives, it is unlikely that changes for helpers’ living accommodations will change at any time soon. This has been one of the most talked about issues regarding foreign workers in Hong Kong. It has been the usual and most common settings a domestic helper will have to adapt once hired and employed in the city.
The load of works given plus the living accommodation are already enough to burden a domestic helpers which most common result is exhaustion and over fatigue plus deterioration of both their mental and physical health leading to a more serious issues such us unhappiness and there are those too who commits suicide once fed and tired of everything including their problems and issues which commonly includes financial issues and family matters.
Buckets of tears are being shed and some have to endure the pain over losing their husbands to another woman, learning that some of their kids have gone astray due to the lack of guidance and maternal care. A mother who becomes a stranger to her own children, a daughter who becomes estrange o her own family, a sister who’s stuck with all the obligations and responsibilities and a woman who loses her own self due to the deprivations and self-restraint over things that she wants and needs believing that her only priority is her family and their needs back home.
In every tears that’s been shed and pain that’s been consuming every OFWs in Hong Kong, they continue to believe that no matter how difficult the situations are and how hard it is to get on with all the burdens, responsibilities and obligations. They’d be able to endure all the emotions unnecessary for them to thrive and continue walking through the path they’ve chosen to take part in order to provide a better future for their family and loved ones. Despite having to figure out on how to maintain and sustain a bond and connection that could last longer than every signed employment contract, OFWs in Hong Kong continue to thrive and walk with their faith and believed that whatever problem comes their way, it will pass and in every difficulties tears will worth more than just a dollar.
Tears that are worth a thousand dollars, it’s been proven as well that des[ite the struggles and painful experiences. I my self have found this place a worthy land to pave a path where bigger dreams probably awaits.
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