"It's a hard life"

Those were the last words I heard from Violet her last day working at our house.  She had been having some issues with her boss, our landlord, and it was time for her to move on.  When she said it, she had tears in her eyes.

Violet had become a dear friend to me.  She had a soft spot for Canadians, having worked for one before.  She was the last person I saw each morning when I left the house for work, and the first to greet me when I came home in the evening with a “Hello Sweetheart” and a warm smile.  

Although my housemate and I miss her, we are relieved that she is now in a better, less stressful environment.  She had been having issues with her boss for some time, and we tried to walk the fine line between being supportive and interfering. 

Domestic workers have little recourse when they experience conflicts with their bosses.  For those who are working legally, Botswana has labour laws that are intended to govern their working relationships.  Unfortunately, these laws offer less protection than for other working populations. Domestic workers have little clout in negotiating wages and working hours, and are not even entitled to the full suite of public holidays. As of yet, there is no union to hear or mediate their grievances, and legal aid is still a relatively new concept here. Those working illegally (there is an underground economy of workers from neighbouring countries) are even more vulnerable.

A Botswana based human rights organization, Ditshwanelo, has done some work in the past to articulate the issues impacting domestic workers and to encourage the development of a union.  They acknowledge that both domestic workers and their employers are poorly informed about their respective rights and responsibilities.

The issue of disclosure about HIV status is one that comes up again and again.  Some employers believe it is their legal right to know the HIV status of their employees, particularly those working in their homes.  It isn’t.  However, there is still a lot of stigma attached to HIV.  Workers who are afraid to disclose their positive status have to find creative ways to keep their medical appointments, take their medication, and tend to their health care needs. 

I think if I had more time and authority in this country, I would work on supporting Ditshwanelo to strengthen and advocate for the rights of domestic workers, particularly those whose health is compromised. 

While I can’t single-handedly make systemic changes, the very least I  can do is try to make at least one domestic worker’s life a little less hard.

I managed to find Violet and travelled to her village to visit her.  She greeted me at the road side with her warm smile, wearing her Sunday best.  She took me by the hand and walked me to her church, which was in mid-service.   She sang loudly and proudly to the beat of a cowhide drum as a little boy, cloaked in a red and white robe, led the small congregation in dance.   We then walked a few steps to the house she shares.   I gave her a necklace I brought from Canada.  She put it on and said she will wear it until the day she dies.  I also gave her a bonus I had originally been saving for her for Christmas.  She sighed with relief, and sent the little boy to buy milk and sugar so we could enjoy a cup of tea together.