Courage That Inspires

Courageous people always inspire me! Marshanda, an Indonesian domestic helper, is one of those people. Despite all her own struggles, she has volunteered her services to help Christian Action so that others may also be helped. Her sad case history is similar to that of many of the 31,188 domestic helpers who came to us for help in the two years 2008-2010.

When she was fifteen, Marshanda was forced to marry her step brother, eleven years her senior. Her husband was unable to find a job, so like millions of migrants who can’t find work in their own countries, Marshanda had to leave Indonesia and seek employment.

Her nightmare continued as a domestic worker in Hong Kong. For 6 months, Marshanda worked 7 days a week, 19 hours a day for a harsh employer. Eventually hospitalized, and in need of surgery, Marshanda begged to go home.  Alarmed at the prospect of having to pay a sick domestic helper for another month, her employer tricked the agency and helped her leave Hong Kong. For the duration of her stay, Marshanda received only $200 per month. The rest of her wages covered exorbitant agency fees (HK$21 000), which is endemic, but illegal in Hong Kong.

Desperate for work, she soon returned to Hong Kong, leaving behind her three-month-old baby.  Her second employer gave Marshanda her full entitlements, but the behaviour of her third employer was even worse than the first one.  They called in the police, accusing her of stealing a pair of child’s gloves.  Eventually, the case was dropped. 

It was when Marshanda spent the night in a park that other domestic helpers advised her to come to Christian Action for help.  Our staff advised her to lodge her case at the Labour Department.  A long wait ensued during which Marshanda moved into the Christian Action shelter for domestic helpers. Her natural leadership abilities soon caught the eye of the staff and they elected her shelter leader. 

Marshanda was a great help in organizing our annual Information Expo, where domestic helpers are celebrated for their selfless service to HK families who want to pursue professional careers and boost the average household income. She has gained so much confidence that she now says, "I'm proud to be part of a team that is able to accomplish something as significant as this event – it did wonders for my self esteem. Being celebrated in this way is beyond my wildest dreams and now I know I can be something!"