Celebrating a migrant domestic worker who is a special mother
This Mother’s Day, I wish to celebrate a special mother. She’s none other than our migrant domestic worker, Yeye, who just gave birth to a healthy baby boy two weeks ago here in Hong Kong.
With our family’s support, the care our Aunty Yeye received during her pregnancy was thorough, worldclass and without prejudice; although a few eyebrows were raised when I jumped around the room when the sonographer said she was having a boy!
It was Yeye’s first pregnancy in Hong Kong and also our first as employers, so we have indeed been on the journey together.
We supported Yeye through every stage of her pregnancy, guided her through her next steps and facilitated her antenatal appointments. We attended some appointments with her as an extra layer of support when her husband could not do so.
This was in contrast to her last pregnancy in the Philippines 19 years ago. It did not involve medical support and the birth was at home with the local midwife in a small village. Her family was too poor to afford care and nutritious food.
Respecting Yeye’s physical limitations as the pregnancy progressed, we made the necessary adjustments to her working day. But every day without fail, she fulfilled her work responsibilities. She also arranged the household chores around her appointments, never once letting us down.
As a healthcare professional at the NGO PathFinders who serves vulnerable pregnant migrant domestic workers, I am more than aware of some of the supportive employers we have here in Hong Kong. Those who are not supportive typically panic and are fazed by the potential challenges faced by their families when their domestic worker is on maternity leave.
My husband Matt and I, being working parents, have heavily relied on Yeye over the years. We have received her incredible support in raising our two children, now 14 and 11 years old. Words can’t express our joy being able to return the gesture. We are grateful to have been able to support her during her pregnancy and now enable Yeye’s newborn son to be with his mother. Allowing Yeye the space she needs during her maternity leave helps her decide what her future plans will be for her and her family. Yeye has expressed her desire to remain employed by us, and I am truly amazed and heartened by her deep commitment to our family.