We are just humans – and we get tired
I have seven siblings and I am the only one who is working.
I am the breadwinner of the family and I am a single mother. So that’s why I came.
I didn’t know anything about the UAE. The houses are so big and you have to clean the whole house. In the Philippines [the employer] told me that I would just be an assistant. She said she had only two children. When I got here she had six kids and I was really shocked. I don’t know why she told me that I am just an assistant.
She has a child who is eight years old. She is really like her mum and her mum is always screaming and shouting at me, telling me I don’t know anything.
My madam calls me words like haiwan [animal], like that. I was with that family for eight months. My madam told me to find another employer. I found a British family but my madam told me I had to finish my contract.
I did not want that any more because they treated me like that. And then I ran away.
This British family promised me that they would sort out my papers. Promise, promise, promise. At first it was good but suddenly they became like the madam.
She told me the salary is Dh1,500 and every time she is giving our salary, I notice that she just gave me Dh1,000.
For eight months, it was the same. Me and the cook ran away together.
Now I’m working in a house but my madam is very good.
She is Syrian. I am really hoping to stay.
Working as a domestic help is not really easy. We need at least one day off. We are just people. Even machines get broken and damaged and we are just humans.
We get tired.