I called up my mother today to keep me updated on her well being after the traumatic experience she has a few months ago. She is in good shape and much much better than what she was during the time that she was still suffering from her asthma attacks.
During any call to my mother, I always take time to talk to my sisters. One of them told that her eldest son and his wife has plans to go to Saudi Arabia. Their papers now are ready and its just their placement fee that need to be paid before they could fly.
I was really shocked on this development. All I thought, my nephew is working at the town hall treasurer’s office. It was a good place to have experience in accountancy. Actually, he is an Accounting graduate who failed to pass the accountancy board exam. He jump into responsibility very early, now at mid-20’s he has two kids.
I asked my sister who will be taking care of his children if both of them will be going to Saudi Arabia. It will be me, she said. Well and good. But what life is waiting for them in the middle east without any skill at all. Will they just be another list into the domestic helpers roll. Personally, I am not against domestic helpers but for an educated person like him, getting employed as a domestic helper is ridiculous. He should know that the life of an OFW particularly domestic helpers is not a joke nor is it easy. It may be too late before they knew it.
My recommendation, I asked my sister to persuade them to just stay put, have the experience and skill before diving into the world job market. In this way, they will have better opportunities.
The life of an OFW is not easy, I have been through it and I have witnessed the difficult life of domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia.