A domestic worker does good

Not only has she benefitted from a non-profit’s help but she has also given back to help her own. By Eleanor Yap (Author). Twelve years ago, Filipina Celmar Palao (left) had very little confidence when she came to Singapore to work as a domestic helper. She was not very serious and had no clue what her future would hold. She shared: “I didn’t know how to behave in front of people; I was afraid of making a mess of things such as saying the wrong things and hurting people.” Over the years, she has worked with two employers, with the most current being a French couple (Anne Genetet and her husband who have four grown-up boys (three of which live in France)) whom she has worked now for seven years. Today, at 39 years old, she is a different person, all thanks to Genetet, her own determination and non-profit organisation, aidha, which focuses on financial education for domestic workers. Introduction to aidha Palao’s story started all the way back to the year 2007 when Genetet found out about aidha and that it offered a one-year course consisting of up to five workshops covering entrepreneurship, building self-esteem and managing money. Genetet wanted more from her even at the beginning. She shared: “From the first day she started in my home, it was very clear to me that I wanted the years that she was going to spend with us to be useful for her. I didn’t want that after working with us, she just transfers to another family. I wanted her to gain experience, skills, talent, know-how, anything that would make her more valuable than before. … I want her one day return to the Philippines to be a success, not a failure.” On Palao’s 32nd birthday, she was given a “surprise” gift of a full sponsorship to the course and the opportunities it would later bring. Shared Palao, “My employer is really supportive. If it is a good thing, she would support me on doing it.” After she graduated from the course in April 2008, she was impressed by Dr Sarah Mavrinac, president of aidha and her lecturer in the entrepreneurship workshop. “I really admire her and what she is trying to do at aidha.” Dr Mavrinac spoke of an idea of a canteen at aidha’s premises where volunteers would sell food that they could make for other volunteers and students who would come on Sundays to attend aidha’s workshops. The money would then go back to aidha and be injected into its programmes. In May, the idea took shape and was called ‘Project Makan’ but Dr Mavrinac needed volunteers to help out. She was getting a shortfall as on Sundays, most volunteers would head to church. Palao loved the idea of volunteering and she explained, she could always go to church on Saturdays if she had duty on Sundays or even after her volunteer work. “I felt that Sarah and her team give up their Sundays at times to be with their families to do this work and help us [domestic helpers]. Why shouldn’t we also help out? We should consider giving back,” said Palao. The initiative was a very informal and not as organised when it started, however, it has grown and now the band of eight volunteers who are domestic workers cook on the premises. “This opportunity is very good for them. We are not using them. They are really gaining something as they get to learn more about business,” explained Palao. The eight of them take on various tasks including purchasing food ingredients, inventory as well as sales. They are also responsible for being creative on their table designs where they place the food to sell. For the past eight months, Palao has been the manager of Project Makan and she proudly revealed that they collect $500 each month from sales. On alternate Sundays, she is involved in Project Makan from 9am to 2pm, and on the rest of the other Sundays, she volunteers at the aidha office doing anything from operations, client servicing, information, technology or registration. The team of volunteers rotate on the various areas of responsibilities. She either takes the morning shift which is between 8.30am to 1pm or opt for the afternoon shift which is from 1pm to 5pm. She happily shared all the knowledge she has gained from her volunteering responsibilities: “If you are in registration, you get to do accounting which I never learned before. You also have to be in charge of cash as it has to be safe at all times. In information, you have to explain the workshops to students and you need to know how to answer their questions. In technology, you need to set up the computers for the workshops and if there is a problem, you need to step in. In attendance, you need to check and add to the database and in operations, you need to do logistics.” Employer support She stressed the importance of doing this volunteer work – “The students need us as sometimes they are afraid to ask or discuss things. It is much easier for them to connect with us as we are also domestic helpers. We are able to relate.” According to Palao, there are less than 30 domestic helpers who help in various ways at aidha. However, she realises that all this work she is doing would not be possible without her employer’s support. “It would be very hard if I didn’t have this support. Sometimes when aidha has events on a weekday, my employer lets me attend,” said Palao. From Palao’s volunteering work at the organisation, it further inspired Genetet to start a help agency for domestic helpers and their expat families where they offer services such as to how to interview a domestic helper and how to have a successful hire. The agency also provides a hotline in times of crisis such as an accident or sickness of a helper, poor quality of work, loss of trustworthiness, etc. Said Palao: “In the past, my employer didn’t understand what a helper usually goes through.” She added: “She and her family treat me with respect and as part of the family. I feel a sense of responsibility to them and I don’t want to get my employer into any trouble as I care about them.” This care has extended to her “family” paying for her to go to French school so she can immerse herself in the culture and the language. “I can now write and speak fluently. I used to go twice a week but it has been reduced to once a week as my employer felt that with my aidha volunteering work it would be too much for me to handle.” Her employer is also supportive of her new independence and her dream to one day own a café in her home country. Plans are afoot on getting a location, however, she refrained on putting an exact date on when she will leave Singapore. “It is quite hard knowing that one day I will leave but my employer wants something for me. … If I don’t go after my dreams, all the effort and knowledge gained through aidha would have been a waste.” She added: “I have now gained more ideas on how to run my business; I am more confident in myself and serious about planning a future. Before starting at aidha, I couldn’t say no to my own family in the Philippines. Today, I am stronger and I know what I want. Volunteering has allowed me to relate to people and to have more insight into a person and how to behave in public.” Agreed Genetet about Palao: “She used to be invisible as like most foreign domestic workers in Singapore. … When Celmar started with us, she used to look down at her feet when talking to me with a voice that I could barely hear. Today, she holds her head up, she speaks clearly so we can communicate better and understand each other.” Palao’s story has not only inspired her employer to get involved in the plight of domestic helpers but she has along the way, convinced a few others at her French school to volunteer at aidha. Asked what she would like to share with her own peers, Palao said: “As domestic helpers, we should do our part too. Respect of others, be responsible, know your limitations, put your heart in your work and the people around you, think first before you say some words, focus on what you want for your life, your dreams and never give up. Do your best on your work and always think of the outcome if you make mistakes, never harm others, and use your off-days on a good cause that will guide and motivate you, inspire you, and make you feel that you are contented and happy about what you are doing.” This story was first published on SALT (www.salt.org.sg), an e-magazine by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre. Additional info provided by cataloguer: The article is accompanied by two photographs consisting of Celmar Palao working on a laptop and a group of volunteers working in the kitchen.