So not just a middle-eastern trait to mistreat its domestic workers but a common problem in Brazil too:- It was already late when Maria, alone in her room, thought about taking her own life by jumping from the seventh floor window. Her day at work, just on the other side of the door, had again started around dawn and only ended 15 hours later. She felt weak, having not eaten for two days. Maria (not her real name) had arrived in Brazil from the Philippines two months earlier, hired as a domestic worker by a family who lived in a wealthy neighbourhood of Sao Paulo. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41857444
A lot of people have a tough life, glad that Maria has sorted herself out. To be honest I am always wary about such reports, it is so easy for modern media to exaggerate details just to get an interesting story.
For every example of this disgusting situation thousands go unreported. https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/modern-slavery/
A sad story that's for sure . There are probably many more examples also of OFW, who while not considered as working in slave condition , nevertheless work in far worse conditions than they should be , just to be able to send money back to their families . My first filipina girlfriend, had just returned from working for two years as a house helper / cook for a rich Chinese family in Hong Kong when we met .As well as all of her domestic duties , she almost single handedly , fed and cared for the couples twin babies . Her day started around 6.30 am , feeding the twins , then cooking breakfast for the family , and finished sometimes 10 pm . She was given one day off each month , and it took 3 months of her salary , to pay the agent who placed her with the family . She told me , and I have no reason to doubt her , that most of her food consisted of leftovers from the family meals , and she was severely reprimanded on one occasion , for eating two slices of bread instead of one because she was so hungry . I guess she was just unlucky to get a nasty and uncaring employer . To give this story ,some balance , the girls sister , also went to work in Hong Kong , two years later, and she really likes it there . She said her employers treat her almost like a daughter .
Life is a big lottery. Some scote big - my aunt - who was my dad’s sister was employed in qatar 20 yrs ago by a rich qatari family. They were really nice to her and are still in communication with her (as well as the grown up kids she looked after) until now. They even met up with my dad when my dad went over in qatar to work as site engineer. On the other hand, i have met a few ones in the ph embassy in dubai who are waiting for their future to be decided upon. A lot of them are stow-aways (left their employers on the single chance they can get and asked a fellow filipino for help to get to the embassy). No passport no clothes no money with just the clothes they are wearing. You can understand why the govt is so keen on doing all these pre-departure seminars - CFO or pdos. with the cases that are reported there hundreds possibly thousands that go unreported.
I suppose it's not possible , but it might be better, if the agencies that placed the girls with their employer were somehow held accountable , and responsible for monitoring their wellbeing . They certainly charge high enough fees .
