Welcome to our new series “The Help”, brought to you in partnership with HK Helpers Campaign and Mission for Migrant Workers. These stories come directly from some of Hong Kong’s 320,000 foreign domestic workers. Everyone deserves a voice.
I came to Hong Kong because I have to take care of my son and parents. I need to send them money every month. My parents are already 80 years old, so I’m the only one who works. My son is 12 years old and has just started secondary school.
The employment agency deducted seven months from my HKD3,000 salary when I first came here. I would do it again because I’m doing it for my family.
Most of the time I can only afford to send home around HKD400 to HKD500 a month. The rest is enough money for me.
I’ve been here more than four years. I’ve had three employers. The first was four months, the second was four years, and the third was one month and 20 days.
The first one ended because the woman had two helpers when she first had her baby. After she didn’t need me.
I ran away from my last employer because she hit me many times. The last time was because I kept a broken plastic bag that she wanted me to throw out. I thought I could use it for something else. She was angry when she found it, asked me what was wrong with my eyes and slapped me.
It had happened many times before, right from when I started working for her. Sometimes she hit me so hard I felt dizzy.
I was afraid to run out and tell the police because if they didn’t help me I’d have nowhere to sleep. The agency always listens to the employer, so I just kept quiet.
Finally I contacted the mission [Bethune House] and they got me to go to the police. I went to the police with blood in my eye and a week-old blue bruise from where she slapped me.
One time my employer slapped me inside the lift. When the police contacted her she denied doing anything, but they have the recording from inside the lift. I didn’t even tell them about that, but they found it themselves.
None of my friends have experienced anything like this. The employer I had for four years never slapped me once. If she got angry she would just speak louder. She could control her temper.
I’m staying here [at Bethune House] for now and helping other women go to the police, see the lawyer, go to immigration and go to the doctor while I find another employer. I like staying here. It’s like family – not like a boarding house.
I like Hong Kong. Before I worked in Singapore for five years but I didn’t get a day off, whereas here I get a day off every week. I was very tired in Singapore and had no friends. I also wasn’t allowed to use the phone.
On my Sundays off I go to meet my friends in Victoria Park. I sit and watch the dancing, but I don’t know how to dance myself. I like talking and joking with my friends. My friends say to me, “Look at you. You’re always smiling, even when you have problems.”
I haven’t been back home for two years.
My son is happy about me being here as what he needs, I can buy for him. I just buy school things. He doesn’t like me buying anything like toys as he knows I’m working so hard to find the money.
I plan to stay here two more years and then go home.
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