Domestic workers celebrating Labour Day in Kenya. IDWF/Flickr. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
After completing my O levels, I had the ambition to pursue a course in the medical field. My dream, however, could not materialise due to my family’s financial situation: we could not afford the college fees that would enable me to realise my dream. I therefore began working for a woman living in the urban centre, in order to have her support to raise the funds for the college fees.
Upon arriving to her house, my employer informed me that I would need to wait for the next college intake period, which was six months later, and assist her in her household chores and other domestic duties in the meantime. I was a little disappointed by this, but I had no choice but to be patient and to devote myself to the tasks assigned to me. Being fresh out of secondary school and still naive, I was somewhat satisfied with this situation. This was also the first time I felt free from strict parental restrictions and close supervision, since my mother was very strict in out rural home. I therefore took full responsibility of the house and the homestead at large as a domestic worker.
