The Life of a Domestic Helper in Hong Kong

This summer, I took up a position as an intern at a company called Good Financial, which provides ethical loans for overseas foreign workers in Hong Kong. And by ethical, I mean they provide the lowest interest rates in the market, and do not require guarantors when applying for a loan.

Since Good Financial is a relatively new startup, I was assigned with the task to do a little experiment at a place in Hong Kong called Discovery Bay. In this task, I pretty much just had to increase the exposure of the company and see if domestic helpers there are interested.

But I wanted to use this opportunity to create a meaningful experience for myself as well. I have always been interested in understanding the situation of domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Growing up, I always had a domestic helper in my house, and I formed a strong bond with them throughout the years, as they come and go. They are probably one of the most down-to-earth group of people that I have ever met.

So I decided to use this opportunity to just connect with them and develop a better understanding about who they are beyond their occupation. I find that people always have a lot of layers that shape who they are, and so, I was sure that their life stories would be engaging to listen to.

I began this task during lunchtime on a Thursday. It was a scorching, hot day, yet a lot of domestic helpers crowded the main plaza at Discovery Bay eating lunch together. A few of them supplied and provided the food and shared it with the rest of them at the plaza. From that, I was already able to see the strong sense of community they had.

I kept in touch with one of the domestic helpers who was a customer at Good Financial, and she told me to find a woman called Fely (that’s not her real name, but let’s just call her that). Fely was an intelligent woman, even at a first impression. Luckily, she was very willing to help me with my task and began introducing me to a lot of tables at the main plaza where the helpers ate lunch. And that was where all the conversations began.

I started at a table of women who were playing bingo, and I began introducing them to Good Financial and handed out my calling cards. They were not a very talkative table, but I could already tell how much they enjoyed each other’s company as they played bingo and sold Mark Six cards.

Then one of them introduced me to the table opposite of them. They were much more talkative and opinionated compared to the other table, which made it lively. Once again, I introduced the company and handed out calling cards. That was when I was able to get a bigger picture to loans and why they needed it.

“I try to stay away from loans now.” One of the ladies said. “You shouldn’t borrow anything unless you need it. And watch out for the interest rates. What if you can’t pay it? You’re going to be in deep trouble. If you can handle yourself, you shouldn’t go seek for outside help. Otherwise, you’re going to have domestic helpers escape the country.”

The lady then opened up about her personal life. She began working in Hong Kong since 1987. Funnily enough, her table seatmate began working in Hong Kong a year later, and they lived next to each other, but had no clue at all until that day when I brought up the conversation.

Her salary was much lower compared to what domestic helpers earn now, considering that Hong Kong was a much cheaper city and there was no economic boom yet. Transportation prices were lower by tens. That also meant income was lower.

So back in the past, she got a loan from Prime Credit, where she received $45000, which she used for her home projects in the Philippines. She now has built two homes over there, where her family settles. That was what made her knowledgeable about loans and how to manage that. She began informing her seatmates about interest rates and the dangers of having a guarantor.

“I won’t loan anymore.” She said. “I was a good payer, I paid everything I needed. But now, I’m happy with what I can earn now. I can enjoy life better and my family has a good life. That’s all that matters.”

She was an interesting and open lady, who did not mind being transparent about herself. She even ranted away about her divorce story, which was entertaining to listen to.

Before I left the table, she left me with a piece of advice after complaining about her cleaning duties.

“Listen up,” She warned. “Don’t clean up after other people’s mess! This can be applied in your life too! Don’t clean if all they do is be inconsiderate and mess everything up!”

I then moved on to the last table – Fely’s table. They were a much more relaxed bunch, but nevertheless, hold a conversation very well. They too were knowledgeable about the lending industry and gave me their own advice.

“There are a lot of helpers who need loans.” Fely said. “But be careful on who you loan to, some of them may even escape to the Philippines! I would suggest you get references from the Philippines, but they wouldn’t like that.”

“Also check if they have a CSL line.” Her friend added. “You can check if they have other lending company contacts. A lot of domestic helpers don’t really like this, but whatever. I can show your company my contacts, because I have none! Ha!”

After talking about loans, they transitioned to talking about their own personal story. Fely, who has been working in Hong Kong, enjoyed talking about her daughter, who has been studying Fine Arts at Oxford and works at a museum. You could definitely tell that she was proud of her daughter and her achievements.

That’s when I realized that there was one thing all of these domestic helpers had in common: their passion for their family. Although they themselves lived a rather humble life, they wanted to provide an environment for their children to dream limitlessly. They work to make their kids and family happy.

As I was about to leave, Fely and her friends gave me light-hearted parting words.

“You have a very blessed life. And good looks ahead of you too!” They teased.

Fely told me to come again so she could introduce me to more domestic helpers in the area. I think I will. They are fun and unique company to have.

Fun fact: Before the picture, a few of them said “Wait! I need to get ready!” and put on lipstick. Filipinas really get enthusiastic if their pictures are being taken.