“I’m more than just a maid. At work, I am a sister to my employer. At home, I am a fighter, a mother, and an achiever.”
Those are the words of Ritchelle, a domestic helper who left her family behind in the Philippines to work for a better future in Singapore. Her dad attempted to stop her from doing so, but she had no choice after her husband passed away — she had to provide for her two young sons, Jason and Gabriel.
About one in every five Singapore households has a foreign domestic worker, reported the video. And yet, according to Ritchelle, the most challenging part of being a domestic worker here is the “connotation of being a maid as the lowest class in the society”.
Besides working in her employer’s home, Ritchelle paints, sketches and sews to overcome her homesickness. She has also enrolled in a learning institution and non-profit organization called AIDHA, which seeks to empower women by teaching them skills like financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
So what’s a maid to you? Ritchelle is so much more than that — she’s an artist, a dreamer, and an aspiring entrepreneur.
Watch the video below for more of her story.
For more inspirational/heart-warming stories like Ritchelle’s, check out The Best Of You, a movement to share the journeys of people from all walks of life.
