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Filipino caregivers in British Columbia in Canada have a home they can run to should they face any emergency, thanks to the new caregiver center that is run by former domestic workers in Vancouver.
“Maria” came to Canada after working in Hong Kong for seven years. But a week after she arrived, her employer asked her to leave.
She felt stranded in a new country. She did not know anyone and she had no money.
“Three days lang nagtrabaho tapos pinaalis sa employer agad. Mahirap pag walang matuluyan kaya ang masasabi ko malaking tulong itong care center dahil sa mga taong nangangailangn ng tulong gaya ko,” said Maria.
Emergency situation like Maria’s is one of the reasons why the Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers’ Rights (CDWCR) thought of the care center project for caregivers.
“Although limited lang ‘yung mabibigay namin, siguro yung one, two days of stay, but at least that comfort maybe, naging mga nanny kasi kaming lahat so that’s a good source of comfort for her and that gave her strength,” said Lorina Serafico, co-leader of the CDWCR in Vancouver.
They also wanted a place where domestic workers can get together on their days off, bond and learn from each other’s experiences.
After raising about CAD38,000 dollars from the showing of the Filipino indie film “Transit” last winter, they were able to rent and open the two-room caregiver center.
“It’s an incredible celebration today to see this center in place. I sure hope that over time, there will be ongoing funding to support the center’s excellent work,” Jenny Kwan, member of the legislative assembly, Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.
“This will be the one that we will use for at least two years dito and of course, we have knocked on the doors of politicians to find either a piece of land or a building where we can set up ‘yung permanent talaga. So ‘yun ang panaginip and I think slowly, mararating din iyon,” said Prof. Aprodicio Laquian, professor emeritus of the University of British Columbia.
The group was able to put up two beds and caregivers can use the computer in the outer room to look for new employers.
But the most they can stay in the center is three days.
Meanwhile, Maria has already found a new employer and is just waiting for her labor market impact assessment to come out so she can start working again. (Read more on Balitang America.)
This article has been re-published with permission from ABS-CBNnews.com.
