Monday, June 20, 2005
The Plight of Srilankan Domestic Workers in Singapore
Prionka Ray Originally from Bhilai- Chattisgarh, I learnt my first ‘real lessons’ in life in Mumbai where I did my Graduation. My learning continued in Symbiosis- Pune, where I did my PG Diploma in Advertising and PR. The lessons I learnt had little to do with Degrees and Diplomas, but were lessons I learnt from life, from people and from circumstances.
Now, married for the last ten years with two kids, I live in Singapore, after having lived for over a year in Switzerland, and have seen a fair bit of the world. After some years in Sales and Marketing in different jobs, I am back to being a student again, doing a course in ‘Teaching Speech and Drama’. This is also my second year of learning classical Odissi dance at the ripe age of 31.
As far as writing is concerned, I did not realize that I write years after I had started writing. I wrote because it was a form of catharsis for me and because it gave me pleasure which is still the case.
Meanwhile, there is still so much to learn from life, and my lessons continue…..
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There is a big population of Sri Lankan girls in Singapore working as ‘Domestic Helpers’. Working for the local families, they are so well absorbed in to the daily lives of the people, that for many families, life would come to a stand still without them. They are usually preferred by the Indian families as they are culturally closer to them but there are as many Chinese, Malay and Caucasians who have a Sri Lankan maid staying with them.
A typical day for these girls begins at dawn, with their taking over the household work and caring for the children or the elderly. If they are lucky, they get an employer who is lenient and understanding. If not, everyday is a day of hard work and misery.
Life was not very good for Mala, who used to work from morning till late at night with verbal abuses from her employer and very little to eat. When she could not take it anymore, she contacted her agent to send her back. Going back is not an easy solution for these girls though, as the families and friends back home would probe suspiciously behind the reason she was sent back before the completion of the usual 2 years contract.
Most of them are here to provide for their families and loved ones who they have left behind. Some come at the young age of 18 or 19 and postpone marriage plans to earn enough money first. It is very soon that they find their families getting so used to the steady income in dollars that getting them married may not be on their minds. Many do go back and get married, but there are a lot of adjustments required to again get used to a life without the modern amenities of Singapore.
There are married women also working as domestic helpers, who leave their children behind with relatives to work abroad. Most of these women’s days here are spent thinking about their children back home, missing them but finding solace in the fact that they can send money to give the kids a better life.
In Singapore, Serangoon Road is a meeting place for the Sri Lankan domestic workers, who visit the temple there, eat in some Indian or Sri Lankan restaurant, send money home, watch some Hindi movies or shop and catch up with friends.
It is a Sunday and Serangoon road is a hub of activities. Sreemati would be there today waiting for her new boyfriend. She never thought that she will find a man interested in her so easily, as she is a widow with two kids. She smiles at the plans they both have made for the future.
Chandra would be there today. She is going back home after 4 years to see her son and husband. She plans to buy lots of gifts for them.
Damayanthi would be there today. She has to send some more money home to her husband and mother- in -law and Mali would be there today. This is her first Sunday off in her new employer’s home and she plans to have a good time.
These girls meet, all well dressed, and spend the whole day talking to each other of their lives here, their problems and their dreams. They almost know everyone in Serangoon if not by name, then at least by face. Any of these faces might be from their village in Sri Lanka, so they have to be careful not to be caught doing anything that can tarnish their reputation.
In reality, all of them know how fragile their dreams are as they have seen so many dreams drying up and evaporating in to thin air, for the other girls. There have been many other Sreematis who have been lured by the workers or the local men here with false promises. These men have never married the girls. On the contrary, when found out by the employers, the girl in question has been sent back and shamed at home by their own family.
There have been many Chandras who have gone home to find their children unable to recognize them and other women in their husbands’ lives.
There are women like Damayanthi who keep on sending money home, with the hope of pleasing their in-laws and husbands but are reduced to just money making machine with no power, no status and often no say.
There are people like Mali, who stay at their employer’s house for years and get so attached to the children of their employers that leaving the children and going away at the end of the contract is heart wrenching. Many a contracts are extended by helpless parents whose kids can not bear to part with the caregivers.
All the women who are at Serangoon are aware that their life will remain transient, hard and trying. They will be seen as money making sources by their families and unlike their male counterparts; they will never enjoy the power that such a position should bring. There of course have been happy endings, but not too many and not too often.
So, they remain strong and optimistic for each other’s sake, keeping up their cheerful spirit. They support each other emotionally, financially and in any other ways that they can. So, the women meet on Sundays or any other times that they are allowed, and live their lives laughing, having a good time, supporting each other and dreaming of the time they will be able to go home forever. Most women know that their lives will never really be complete again even if they go back...
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