I have been doing household work and care work professionally for almost 5 years now. It takes compassion to do things for others who depend on you. As a care worker, I feed and groom my clients because most of them can’t do all of that themselves. I like to take care of my clients. I love my patients, putting a smile on their face everyday is a blessing. As a household worker my job consists of cleaning the home, doing laundry, and cooking. I also do errands like going to the grocery store and managing prescriptions for my clients. Clients hire you as a home health aide, and you ending up doing household work, and the salary doesn’t change.
Most household workers are women and whether we like it or not when we get home, we are tired and still have to look after our own family members by repeating the same tasks we just did through the day. No one likes to repeat the same routine again, but it becomes a way of life we are condemned to lead.
We need to organize ourselves by organizing more groups affected by similar problems so that we can use our collective power to improve our lives. We need more visibility and to cease working in the shadows of society. We need to fight for something larger than rest breaks, back wages, vacations, and holidays. We need to create a world where every household worker is treated kindly, which includes with dignity and respect.
I have dedicated myself to this great cause and helping other women learn their rights, while getting involved to change conditions. We need more results and our voices need to be heard. We will not stop until we get what we deserve. Together we can win.