Eating my words...

You know, I often run my mouth about the things I feel passionate about. I think it is one of the qualities I like most about myself. Hehe. But of course, even when you are arguing fervently a point a view that you believe to be socially just and balance, you run the risk of having to eat your words at a later time.

That is what I am currently doing. But doing it happily.

When I first came here I was already aware that having domestic employees to do the house work and more, was very very common, especially among foreign nationals. However, I was quite determined to not 'get lazy' as I thought of it, and lose the routine of daily and weekly chores that one builds up while living on ones own, by hiring and empregada as they say in Portuguese.

Comments like:

"well that is one of the benefits about living in Mozambique. The cheap hired help";

and

"I am doing my part for poverty alleviation. I pay my empregada USD 50 a month" (for 6 days a week for 10 hours a day for some people);

left a sour impression of this common practice, and made me all the more resolute that I would not add to these seemingly colonial attitudes.

I had little to worry during my first two months as I was staying with a friend, and like it or not, his empregada did all the house work for us both. But now as I have moved and settled into a place of my own with Kat, taken on greater responsibility at work, and Kat is working too, there are many time consuming chores and tasks that take up most of our weekends and after work hours together. Laundry has proved the hardest of tasks, especially since there is double the volume to wash.

So over the last week or so we looked around for domestic help. It is not hard to find here, as there is soo much unemployment (even a friend of mine who I occasionally hang out with asked me if I need house work done). One has to take into consideration questions of mixing friendship with employee / employer relationship; issues of privacy; and trust. So it makes the decision quite difficult at times. However, after canvassing some of our more socially equitable friends we came to an arrangement with one of them so share their empregada. Starting last week, Elena (our empregada's name) will be helping Kat and I with the house work, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She did such an amazing job, much better than either Kat or I could do (and Kat does a great job). And it is a relief to have the place sparkling.

Ultimately, it was the surprising encouragement of my Mother, urging me to give someone work and take stress off ourselves for what does not amount to a great financial sacrifice at all. We have decided to pay her for two days work as much as some pay their empregada for 6 days of work. This gives her the opportunity to supplement her income through additional work.

Kat has also shown much interest in offering her the opportunity to practice some ICT skills through using our internet to search for other job opportunities, open an email account, do research for (the classes she takes), and perhaps she will also pick up some more English from Kat, and give Kat an opportunity to practice communicating in Portuguese.

Personally, it is quite a new and different experience. I am not used to giving people chores to do, and it feels uncomfortable at times to ask someone to wash this, or clean that. I am sure I will adapt, but hope that I never get too comfortable in this arrangement.