What a difference it was when we arrived in South Africa and moved into our home knowing I would never have to do laundry, wash dishes, clean bathrooms, etc... again. The week before we moved in to our home, I interviewed a woman who was recommended to us through another friend living here. I was not sure what to ask about what she knew how to do, figured it was pretty straight forward work, so we talked about logistics, pay, and I could tell she would be great to have in our home.
Joyce was hired on the spot and started the next week. So who is Joyce? She is a 42 year old African, married, mother of 4. Joyce grew up in the area as a family of 8. Her mother died when she was 14 and her father left shortly after. Joyce and her siblings raised themselves with the help of her aunt. Joyce was able to finish high school and gain employment. Joyce had 2 children before meeting her husband whom she has been married to for 12 years. Together they had 2 children which makes 6 children living in her modest home as she took in 2 of her sister's children after her sister died. Joyce has 2 boys ages 21 and 19, and 2 daughters ages 17 and 3. The 21 year old no longer lives with her but she does take care of her grandson who is 1.
Modest is not really even the word to describe Joyce's home. She has a kitchen, dining room, bathroom and a living room which they have put up a partition through the middle of to make 2 bedrooms, one for her and her husband and the other for all the kids to share. Joyce's home is provided by the government and she pays $25 per month in rent. Joyce is also responsible for the electricity and water. Sadly there is no hot water tank and heating up water on the stove costs too much so they go without hot water for bathing. Her family also goes without heat in the winter and it can get quite chilly at night here. There is no washer or dryer so she does all laundry by hand. She is thankful to have running water and a working bathroom, as they are not something all people have in their homes here.
Joyce and her husband are hoping to build onto the home as more space is needed of course. Her husband has been without a job for a few years, just making ends barely meet with odd jobs in the area. Joyce works for our family Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7-3 along with the occasional weekend night so Mark and I can go on a date. Joyce makes $16 per day for her 8 hours, a rate of $2 per hour. I had no idea what to pay and our relocation assistant told us that the rate above is what she would recommend for a home our size. Prior to working for us Joyce worked at a local supermarket making only 90 cents per hour so to say she was pleased with coming to work for us would be an understatement. Thankfully I was able to find Joyce work on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a friend of ours so she has full time employment.
Joyce lives 10 miles away and every morning she walks 2 hours to get to our home and makes that same trip back in the afternoon. There are buses that will take her to and from her home and work but she states they are too expensive and she likes the exercise. Despite the weather, either rain or the burning sun, she walks with umbrella in hand often times meeting up with friends who work in the neighborhood and they walk together. I have offered to pay Joyce more so she will take the bus but she refuses stating she wants to walk and does not want the extra money.
If I had to walk 4 hours a day, I would be one lazy employee but not Joyce who works non stop for 8 hours. Every day when she arrives she washes the dishes, starts the laundry, cleans the bathrooms, mops the floors, changes the linen, dusts the furniture, and the list goes on. I never have to tell her what to do unless there is something specific I want done. She will even clean things I don't even think about, like the bottom of our fire pit. I don't think our house needs cleaned top to bottom every other day but there is no stopping her. I have tried to convince her that our sheets do not need ironed, but she keeps doing it. She is fabulous at what she does, getting stains out of things I would have just given up on and thrown away, and she knows what we need before we even realize we need it.
On top of all of her hard work she is unbelievably grateful. She is always thanking me for supplying the house with cleaners, rags, and mops as if it were somehow expected for her to supply them. She will thank me endlessly when I pay her or give her items from our home to take with her such as food or clothing. Sadly though she is often stopped at the gate of our community and I am called by security to see if she stole the items or if I really gave them to her. Joyce is always willing to eat what I have made for lunch and I try to keep the kitchen stocked with the items she likes such as Coke, Rooibos tea, and bread and butter.
Joyce started out as our hired domestic help but she really has become part of our family. Adalyn loves Joyce and looks forward to when she is babysitting. I can trust her with anything from my open purse on the counter to my jewelry and of course my child. I have managed to teach her some American recipes and share with her what life is like in the states, but what she has done for me cannot be returned. She will rarely accept money so giving her family Christmas presents or supplying her with food and clothes is one way I have found to show my appreciation. She is a very kind, loyal, giving and an amazing Christian who will buy food weekly for her church pastor despite what her family needs. I have never once heard her complain about anything in life and she always has a positive outlook. I look forward to having her work full time when the baby comes as I can't imagine trusting my newborn to anyone better.
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