Tuesday, June 16, 2009

To have or Not to have?....

The issue of having house maids in Nigeria has become a very big one now. A lot of kids are recruited for this position and thus face a new turn in their lives. Many of them for the worst. As always we know there are two sides to a coin. When we spoke to majority of Nigerian so called “Oga/Madams”, they claim that many of their maids are thieves, rude and mean to their kids and they even go as far as saying they have evil spirit, that’s why they treat them the way they do, and when we spoke to the kids, their own story is just the opposite, lol. They said that their ”Oga/Madam” are the most evil of humans, they treat them shabbily, they hardly feed them or clothe them or send them to school as they promised their parents or agents. Most of them claim that it’s because of their evil acts, that make them steal from them and run away, or maltreat their kids. The girls say their “ogas” always promise them a better life that’s why they always agree to sleep with them (that’s for the once that are not forced to satisfy the men’s stupid sexual appetite). Looking at it from another chapter, Many homeless children and kids from very poor homes have gained positively in their new homes. My mom and I was talking some weeks back and she told me about a lady we always called Aunty xxx, who I actually thought was the man’s sister or cousin, although she was the only fair lady in the family and how she was brought from Calabar, Nigeria as a maid and the man and his wife gave her a Muslim name, sent her to a fashion designing school, bought the machine she was using to sew outside their house for her and treated her like she was family and still paid her for her services of taking care of the kids and the home. I was lost for words, I was shocked in a very good way. I was like for real? Aunty xxx? Woaw.... I guess this is what it should be right? Be a part of their success, make their dreams come through, like Aunty xxx (I even heard she’s married now and the man and his family were her sponsors) and not use them for odd jobs like hawking on the streets where they can get killed by reckless drivers or make them work like slaves all in the name of $5000 Naira ($40 dollars, i think) a month. My mom said there’s a popular market in Lagos, Nigeria called Sura market, where 90% of the women there are agents who organise all these kids as little as 10 years old as maids to people who need them. They tell their parents (biological or foster) that its better for their kids to be a maid than to live in such poverty and their share is 50% of the child’s earnings, where the rest of the 50% goes, i really want to know. I know the Child’s right act in Nigeria established in 2003, stated that no one should have a child as a maid, but an adult from the age of 21 who can make a decision on their own standing, but I was told not all states has accepted this act and the ones that have, are yet to practice it. I for one, will not even get a maid, because that would make me lazy and my kids will learn absolutely nothing about morals and domestic responsibilities and it’s also a risk when you get the older girls in the house with your hubby at home, god forbid bad thing, lol, lol. Anyhoos, what do you guys think about the whole maid issue, will you or will you rather not? And the child acts too? Our website is out oh, pls be a part of a big difference and be a member, visit us at www.laffglobal.webs.com we re still under construction sha, lol. XoXo....

4 comments:

BSNC said...

i don't think its bad to have a house maid,it depends on how you treat them.

Roc said...

Hmm.. This your argument is interesting but I do think it is a bit one sided..
Not all househelps suffer at the hands of their Oga's.. And some are treated well but still end up stealing.
I don't think having a maid means the woman of the house will become lazy or the kids won't have proper training growing up.. Becos just having a maid doesn't mean the maid has to do every single tihng in the house..
That's where discretion comes into..
I'll pop over to your website in a bit.

Big Heart said...

@BSNC: so do i, i just think in most cases but not all, house maids re takin for one reason but end up using them for another, but i guess it really depends on an indvidual rite. Thanks for u input

@Rocnaija: I guess you're rite,most of them will still act badly even wit all d love shown to dem n most ogas too will still be ogas,lol. i'm just speakin for myself, i might end up enjoying d luxury too much to be lazy,i hope u ve checked out d website, pls, pls suggestions n advise re welcome

Anonymous said...

not to have oh, lol. it makes sense wen u ve sha, its like reachin out n leavin a footprint by givin dem a home n shelter, but i grew up wit maids, my neigbours had maids n d story tody is odiakwa risky. i no want oh, lol