Blue Sticker’s Domestic Worker Training a great success!

This month’s Blue Sticker Household Domestic Training course has been running successfully for the past two weeks and I’d like to update everyone on the progress we’ve made.

We dealt with employer/employee rights in the first module of session 1 – which provided a good platform to explain to the ladies how the employer is allowed to react when they do not fulfill their contracts (be it a verbal or written contract).  Many of the ladies on the course had been sent by their employers simply because they were not fulfilling their contractual obligations, and needed to be spoken to and counselled into a proper service attitude.  Other ladies had come because of their good attitudes and hunger to learn.  Either way, the mornings work-shopping was helpful all around, with both groups seeing that attitude and performance play a vital role in their work experiences.

During the afternoon we went through the Cleaning Components and Techniques module, where we discussed how best to clean, and which products to use in which environments.  We also dealt with product consumption and wastage – making sure the ladies understand how to manage their working environments effectively.  Next we dealt with task, chemical and equipment lists, and how to schedule their work loads to ensure maximum productivity.

Towards the end of the day did a Dreaming workshop where we discussed their life stories and dreams for the future. Many of the women were deeply moved by their fellow’s stories, as each took turns to share dreams and aspirations with the class.

During this last week’s session, we focussed on safety principals for the workplace – discussing issues such as how to answer the phone, who to call in the case of an emergency, taking messages and how to react in the case of various emergency situations.  This was helpful on multiple levels, as we discussed the stories of various women who had experienced fires in the townships.  We talked about how to best take action in fire scenarios, and they shared how they had reacted in the past.

We also had a drawing and drama exercise where the women drew renditions of unsafe situations they had previously found themselves in, and how they would change their behaviours today.

On the whole the most encouraging thing I have noticed during the course is the confidence that being on this training has given these women.  They seem full of life and excited to be given personal attention!  I’ve realized how little one-on-one attention these ladies have been given, perhaps none at all, and how deeply it impacts them as people to know that they are being developed because someone cares about them and their futures.  It’s a beautiful thing to witness and take part in.

- Andrea Bester