Finding My Freedom to Work Without Fear Changed My Whole Life By Grace
When I look back on this past year, the biggest change in my life is simple but it means everything to me, I have become more confident, and I finally feel free. I have been part of VODW for less than a year, but in that short time I have learned what it means to work without being abused by an employer, and I have learned that I have rights as a domestic worker, rights that nobody can just take away from me.
Before, I did not always know that. Now I do, and that knowledge has changed how I carry myself every single day. The people I have met through VODW taught me to be more confident, and they taught me not to be scared or afraid to work here in the UK. There is no discrimination here for me, and I am proud that I can support my family so much better than before.
What keeps me going, especially on the harder days, is thinking about my family and our future. That is why I am here, and prayer, more prayer, carries me through. My advice to anyone just starting out as a domestic worker in the UK is simple,
do not lose hope, stand up, and pray, because everything is going to be fine. Do not be afraid, because there are so many people who can help us here, and VODW especially is a big help.
For me now, rest means I can manage my own time and work freely. Respect means the people around me will never make me feel small. Dignity means I can work hard and know that hard work is valued. Staying connected to my family back home is not always easy, the time difference means we cannot always talk, but technology helps me see them through video calls, and I call them whenever I have free time after work.
I am grateful because I am here in the UK, and I can see clearly now that I can give my family a better future. My hope for the coming holidays is simply that we will be together. My story is part of why VODW keeps fighting so hard for the right to change employer without restriction and the other protections that let a domestic worker breathe freely, because freedom from fear is exactly what changed my life this year, and I believe it can change so many more.
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