How Being a Domestic Worker Brought Back the Strength Courage and Purpose I Thought I Had Lost By Ma. Annalyn Abalos

I began my work as a domestic worker in February 2025, arriving with my eyes open to both the challenges and the possibilities ahead. I draw strength from many sources at once, from my family, my faith, my fellow domestic workers, my knowledge of my rights, and the hope I carry for a better future. These are not quiet background forces. They are the active pillars that hold me up, especially on the days when the work is hardest.

On the most difficult mornings, I think of my children's future. That thought has a particular power, the kind that gets me out of bed before the sun rises and keeps me moving through the hours that follow. The sacrifice of this work is not a burden without meaning. It is an investment, and I know exactly who it is for.

What I want the world to understand is something I have clearly thought about at length. I am not just a helper. I am a person with dreams, a family, feelings, and dignity. I left my home and my loved ones to care for another family, often sacrificing my own comfort and my own time. That exchange deserves recognition. It deserves respect. And it deserves the protection of law.

I rate my hope for change at the highest level and see the world as fully capable of understanding what domestic workers truly contribute. I hold each of the rights VODW is fighting for as very important or life-changing. The right to stay and settle in this country, in particular, I consider life-changing, and the urgency of restoring pre-2012 ODW rights is, for me, at its absolute peak.

The rights I want restored speak to the core of what a safe working life looks like. The right to renew the Overseas Domestic Worker Visa would mean that workers like me are no longer at the mercy of an expiry date that forces impossible choices. The right to settlement would mean that years of contribution are met with permanence rather than uncertainty. Together, these rights do not just change a person's legal status. They change how it feels to wake up each morning and go to work.

I spend five hours each week worrying about my visa and job situation, five hours that could be spent resting, connecting with my children, or simply being present in my life without the weight of anxiety pressing down.

When I reflect on what restored rights would mean for me, my answer is rich and deeply personal.

Being a domestic worker brought back my strength, my courage, and my purpose. It taught me how strong I could be, even in the most difficult moments. It brought back my hope that all sacrifices and hard work would eventually be worth it. I do not ask for sympathy. I ask for fairness. I ask for the systems around me to reflect the value I already know I carry.

VODW's campaigns are not just legal arguments. They are the echo of every story like mine, of women who arrived in this country ready to give their best and who deserve, in return, the dignity of rights, stability, and the freedom to build a life without fear. I have found my strength. Now the systems around me must rise to meet it.

---

Join Us in Supporting Migrant Domestic Workers Escaping Abuse DONATE HERE 

Migrant domestic workers who have fled abusive employment urgently need your help. They’ve left behind exploitation and are taking brave steps toward safety but they need support for basic needs like shelter, food, clothing, and counseling.

 "With your donation, we can provide immediate relief and a pathway to rebuilding lives in dignity and safety."