Going abroad to work is already difficult on its own. One must constantly battle homesickness that comes with leaving family members behind and living in a distant, unfamiliar place.
For a number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the sadness that they feel are sometimes lessened by the new families they find in a foreign land. Some OFWs, especially domestic helpers, are fortunate enough to have found work with employers who see them as an addition to their family.
In an exclusive interview with The Filipino Times Online, OFW Juvelyn C. Cambel, 35, narrated how she was able to land a job for an Emirati employer who shows her nothing but compassion and kindness.
Cambel’s journey as an OFW started when she married her husband, Alex, in 2006. She said that life after marriage was riddled with financial struggles as her husband suffered from prostate cancer on top of other medical complications.
The OFW narrated that when she got pregnant and gave birth to her child, Asher John Kester, their life took a turn for the worst. Just when she thought that providing the medical needs of her husband was already difficult, things got out of hand. Their child was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease.
In 2006, Cambel finally decided to fly to the United Arab Emirates to work as a domestic helper to be able to support his husband and child’s hospital bills. She described how emotionally painful it was for her to leave that time, as she couldn’t bear to leave her child who was only a year and eight months old back then.
But for the sake of her family, she left her hometown in North Cotabato and flew to Dubai.
Cambel first worked for a different family for four years. After her contract with them ended, she went home to the Philippines in 2011 and planned to stay for good.
However, her husband’s medical condition and mounting debt pushed her to go back to Dubai in 2012 to secure a new job.
Fate and luck brought her to Emirati employer Mohammed Al Zari Al Shamsi.
The OFW said she only had a two-year contract with Al Shamsi, and that she returned to the Philippines after her contract ended.
But in 2014, Al Shamsi asked her if she was interested to work for him again. Her employer even offered to enroll her to a driving school in the UAE for free.
“Noong 2014, umuwi po ako para mag-apply sana sa iba. Pero tinawagan po ako ng amo ko at nag-offer sila na pag-aralin daw ako ng driving. Yun na po daw ang magiging trabaho ko kung babalik po ako sa kanila,” she said.
Cambel said she took driving lessons at the Emirates Driving Institute, courtesy of her employer. She was also able to get a UAE driver’s license with her employer’s help. The Pinay received a monthly allowance, too, on top of her salary.
“Napakaswerte ko po dito kasi hindi katulong ang treatment nila as akin. Pamilya ang turing nila sa akin,” she said.
Her employers would also lend a helping hand whenever Cambel would need extra money for her husband’s medical expenses.
“They helped me po para mapagawa ko yung bahay ko. Bukod doon, they are always there kung kailangan ko ng financial help, lalo na sa medical cases ng anak at asawa ko. Nagbigay po sila ng cash po,” she said.
But the kind deeds of Cambel’s employers did not stop there.
Thanks to the generosity of her employers, Cambel was also given the chance to explore and see the world. She revealed that her employers would tag her along whenever they would go visit other countries.
“Madami na po kaming napuntahan – Maldives, Mauritius, Scotland, England, Switzerland, France, Austria, Germany, Singapore, Australia, at Japan. Ngayon naman pong darating na summer, sa Ireland naman po kami pupunta,” she said.
After everything that she has received from her employers, Cambel left a short but heartfelt message of gratitude to them.
“I am so blessed and thankful to have them as my employers. Thank you so much for everything you have done and for the kindness you have shown to me, which you have even extended to my family,” she said.
