These maids fled a hopeless past to paint a bright future
dubai — How do you move on from your past filled with trials and tribulations? How do you channel your hardship into a source of joy and inspiration for yourself and others?
A group of seven domestic workers from the Philippines, Kenya and Sri Lanka has shown a unique way to overcome their unhappy past. They recently participated in an initiative called ‘Soles and Stories’. Each of them was given a white pair of shoes as canvas to illustrate their joys, pains, sacrifices, dreams and aspirations.
Many of them were reluctant at first, because they said they didn’t have an ‘artistic streak’. But the goal was not to create a masterpiece. The creative process was a reward in itself and the result of the project — organised by the Sameness Project and supported by FleishmanHillard Middle East — was both revealing and liberating.
Sole breadwinner in the family
Evelyn, 41, from the Philippines, showed Khaleej Times her creation. She depicted in her shoes a pair of hands with open palms, a half-faced woman covered with a butterfly wing, colourful flowers and portraits of her own family and that of her employer’s.
On the left shoe, I painted all my heartaches and pain while on the right shoe, I’ve drawn the happy phase of my life.” Evelyn, Filipina maid
She said: “On the left shoe, I painted all my heartaches and pain while on the right shoe, I’ve drawn the happy phase of my life. The past, I’ve already ‘left’ it and now I’m happy and on the ‘right’ direction of my life.”
Evelyn has been in Dubai working as a nanny for a decade. She said she loved painting since she was in high school but had to give up her passion in art because of lack of resources. She got married young, worked initially as a sales lady in the Philippines and was forced to work abroad because her husband was inutile and her kids were growing. She is the sole breadwinner in the family but she has been able to send all her three children, aged 19, 16, and 14, to school. Evelyn said she has not resigned to her fate but has moved on.
“The open palms that I drew is a symbol of forgiveness and I also added blooming flowers because they depict my children, who are my source of inspiration and joy,” Evelyn said.
“My eldest son is graduating from college this October. My daughter wants to study nursing and my youngest also wants to become a professional. Even though I’ve been away from them for a long time, they all appreciate my sacrifices here. And sometimes whenever I feel lonely, I just get my canvas and paint,” she added.
Because Evelyn enjoys break from work and she is supported by her employer, she was able to enrol at the Kabayan Institute for art and photography lessons. One of her dreams is to have her own art and photo exhibition one day.
Escape from alcoholic husband
Another uplifting story is that of Elizabeth, 37, from Kenya. She said: “I didn’t know that my husband had an alcohol problem when we got married. We had two daughters and then life got difficult. Whenever he drinks, he becomes arrogant and abusive to me and children. So, I ran away, took my children and went to stay with my sister in another town.”
Elizabeth has been in Dubai for two years now. For her shoes, she used red paint to depict her pain but she also balanced it with green to portray peace, purple for her daughter and black as a proud symbol of their skin colour.
“While I am here in Dubai, I am trying to think what can I do as a free person. As long as God allows me to stay here, I would like to finish a course which I enrolled in cutting lenses for optical glasses. I want to finish it so I can work in that field,” she added.
angel@khaleejtimes.com