Denise
on Wonderous Wanderland (Burkina Faso), 14/Mar/2011 19:38, 34 days ago
We have a 'femme de menage'. Her name is Denise, she's 26 and has a 4-year old boy called Frédérique. They both live at her mum's house, who's looking after the little boy when Denise is at work - it's not 'till next year that he'll start school. As for Denis's husband, he is "en voyage". We're not sure what that means but we're not asking. She can't read or write, like almost 80% of theBurkinabé, but for us nazarrashe is like a walking encyclopedia. She knows what to get where and how much it should cost, she knows who can fix our roof and what's the best/cheapest way to take a taxi into the city, she knows where we can get our clothes ironed,....She works half-time for us: monday, wednesday and friday mornings in the villa and tuesday's and thursday's in the flat, my (work)week's residence. For that we pay her less than 30EUR a month. It is really getting used to seeing this girl going around the house sweeping, cleaning, washing (clothes, sheets, big towels,...) all by hand, clearing leaves in the garden, going to the market and doing whatever else we want her to do for a salary which wouldn't even tempt the average Belgian teenager to mow the lawn for these days. She calls Krispatron, which is also getting used to. But this is the way things go here and since day 1 people have knocked on our door to apply for a job as a housekeeper and/or nightwatch. And so Denise is happy 'cause she has a job and we are happy - albeit slightly ill at ease still in my case - 'cause, for one thing, our white clothes are actually white again after she's washed them ("Omo it is!!"). We told her she doesn't need to work the weekends or on bank holidays. She didn't seem to believe it at first, so last tuesday on International Women's day - which is an official bank holiday in Burkina - she did come around to the house, just in case maybe the message was 'lost in translation'. But no, we reassured her that like all other working Burkinabé - and especially all women that day- she had to go out and take part in the celebrations which were spread all over the city for the occasion :-)! Little did we know the effect of this small event. When the initial disbelief had subsided she looked pleased....very pleased, and left. It turned out she was so pleased that two days later she brought her friend. Another young girl who is working 24/7 for a family in the city and who, consequently, has no time left to spend with her own two children. "Maybe we know other people who have the same (crazy?) beliefs that one is allowed to have time to rest or to have a (family)life outside their job? "A small event, a pebble thrown in the water causing just a few ripples...so far :-), just watch....next week I'll start a trade union :-)next month we'll plan our first strike :-) :-)next year we'll march the city demanding better hours and higher wages :-) :-) :-)Speaking of a mentality change!