Fighting for My Rights on the Street Gave Me the Strength to Keep Dreaming By Michelle Rabara
I joined VODW's classes wanting to improve myself, along with my social and mental health, a goal that speaks to just how much domestic work can take from a person's sense of wellbeing over time. I arrived happy, ready to invest in myself, and over six months to a year across ESOL, IT, Mediacom, Body Mind and Wellness, and Financial Literacy, that investment paid off in ways both practical and deeply personal.
I improved my financial situation, strengthened my overall wellbeing, and picked up technology skills I now apply to my daily life. But what stands out most in my own reflection is a moment far outside the classroom altogether, the times I have gone out into the streets to fight for my rights alongside other domestic workers. Those moments give me a genuine sense of strength to keep moving forward, along with hope that one day those long fought dreams will finally be realised. During my sessions, I also felt my stress reduce and experienced a real sense of belonging, the feeling of being part of something larger than myself.
My growing confidence and sense of inspiration culminated in an award recognising my progress, and I can only describe my graduation as a once in a lifetime experience, words that convey just how meaningful the milestone felt to me.
My thanks to my teachers are heartfelt, gratitude for all the knowledge and support I received along the way.
My hope for other domestic workers reaches far beyond myself. I hope they too can find wellbeing, safety, and love in a foreign country, a hope shaped directly by my own experience marching and advocating for change. That experience on the streets, standing alongside fellow workers, sits at the very heart of VODW's campaigns, the fight for the right to change employer without restriction, the right to renew the ODW visa, the right to settlement, and the right to British citizenship. My story shows that for many VODW members like me, learning in the classroom and fighting in the streets are not separate journeys but two parts of the same one, each giving strength and meaning to the other.
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