Learning My Rights Alongside New Skills Gave Me the Confidence to Move Forward By Lea
I joined VODW wanting more knowledge, specifically about my rights as a domestic worker. That focus shaped everything about my journey over the following year and a half, spent across ESOL, IT, Mediacom, Body Mind and Wellness, and Financial Literacy. I started out nervous, unsure what to expect, but I believed learning was still possible for me, and that belief carried me through.
The list of things I picked up along the way is long and varied, editing skills, proper English, how to manage money, and more, each class adding another layer to a growing sense of capability. During my sessions I felt my stress ease, my confidence build, and my resilience strengthen, the kind of quiet, steady transformation that often matters more than any single lesson on its own.
By the end of my time in classes, I felt genuinely more confident, and I carry real warmth toward the community that helped me get there. Graduation left me feeling happy and blessed, and I am candid about why, because of this community, I learned a lot of things I might never have encountered otherwise. My thanks to my teachers reflect that same gratitude, appreciation for their effort in helping me and so many others learn.
But it is my hope for the future that carries the most weight, and it points directly at the heart of VODW's advocacy. I hope that the rights, specifically the right to renew and the right to change employers, are restored. It is a hope shared by countless domestic workers across the UK, and it is exactly what VODW's campaigns are built to achieve, alongside the fight for the right to settlement and the right to British citizenship.
My story shows how closely learning and advocacy are woven together at VODW. I came for knowledge about my rights, and I leave not only informed but genuinely invested in seeing those rights protected, for myself and for every domestic worker who comes after me.
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