When domestic helpers become family

When domestic helpers become family

Farnie’s employer – Natalie’s relatives – also included Farnie in their holidays, extended family parties and gatherings, and even weddings. During Chinese New Year this year, she returned to Singapore to be with them. There was a family reunion, after all – and she was family. Farnie recalled fondly something that Natalie’s cousin, her employer’s young … Read more

Children’s book illustrated by Hong Kong foreign domestic helpers highlights bond between families and their ‘aunties’

Children’s book illustrated by Hong Kong foreign domestic helpers highlights bond between families and their ‘aunties’

Hong Kong is home to more than 350,000 domestic helpers, most hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia. Affectionately called “aunties”, many left their own children and elderly family members to care for others in the city. Now a new book, My Extra-Special Aunty, narrated through the eyes of a child, celebrates the cultural diversity and … Read more