A UAE resident took a trip down memory lane by remembering his Filipina nanny who took care of him and his siblings when they were little. He also called domestic helpers “silent heroes” who should be treated with respect.
In his column published in The National, Saeed Saeed, who has Eritrean and Australian blood, recalled a time he noticed that his Filipina nanny, named Teresa, was sad over the idea of celebrating her mother’s birthday away from her. With this piece of memory on his mind, he said that he cannot understand why some employers treat their household service workers (HSWs) indifferently.
“These residents should be treated well, and are even sometimes viewed as part of a family. That was the way it was during my childhood. The domestic workers in my house looked after me and my siblings. To me, they were the silent heroes who afforded my hard-working parents time to relax, and they provided us kids with the extra parental attention we craved,” Saeed’s article read.
Saeed is hopeful that the treatment towards HSWs will change citing the backlash that blogger Sondos Al Qattan received for questioning the rights of OFWs in Kuwait.
“She [Al Qattan] was widely – and rightly – condemned for lamenting how Filipino workers in her country now have the right to keep their own passports and have a day off. In my social circle, friends and colleagues treat those around them with kindness and empathy – as everyone should,” Saeed said.
He also thanked her nanny Teresa and other domestic helpers who were able to teach him how the “world is a multicultural place and that various religions can coexist.” He added that Teresa played a big role in making him who he is now.
“I too have sad mornings when I miss my mum. It took me a while, Teresa, but I get it. Thank you for playing your part in making me who I am,” he said.
