Human being is the only creature whose productivity is pegged on the freedom bestowed on him.A free mind is productive.A free mind is creative.A free mind churns out progressive ideas.Freedom is the cornerstone of every human's engagement.This is what binds all men and women. There is nothing so chilling as being considered worthless,"grade-less" human being.There is nothing so discouraging as being perceived as "emotion-less" creature.Men and women have feelings.These feelings dictate their interactions and productivity.They either break or strengthen the human bond.
Today I want to highlight the plight of domestic workers.These people are the engines of so many homes.They do all sorts of chores.Their call of duty demonstrates how selfless they are.By accepting to do all sorts of chores - some life threatening - they communicate to the world that they love their bosses more than their(domestic workers) lives.They have literally put their lives on the line of fire to protect the dignity and wholeness of their masters.But how should the world treat these people?How much should they earn to "pay" for their services?Can we really quantify their services as to merit monetary compensation?What value does it have to be paid millions in salary but live in a humiliating and inhuman condition?
Methinks no amount of dollars can compensate for their services. Money is not the biting issue here!It is how we "see" these people.It is what we tell them.It is what we think about them.Remember a criminal is always a criminal until you configure your mind to think otherwise.An angel will remain an angel unless you change your thoughts.This points to one thing - that our minds guide us.The mind perceives,thinks,studies and gives directions on how to handle a particular matter or a person.The mind is the "point of reference" when it comes matters of domestic workers.Our actions will automatically "say" what we think.
Look at this - when you keep yelling at your house-help from dawn to dusk,when you allow your headless kids to throw all sorts of insults at your gardener,when you look at your workers as robotic creatures that don't get tired,when you delay their pay without any explanation,....what do you expect them to say?It is important to note that human beings are creatures of dignity.They are enjoined by the umbilical cord of brotherhood.This cord doesn't know social status.It doesn't recognize academic credentials.It sees all humans as one.Its philosophy is that of "when you see your neighbor,you see yourself in him".
I don't buy the argument that domestic workers are a dangerous lot.That they are thieves.No!They are not.What they do is a response to the humiliating and inhuman conditions meted upon them.They have been so patient for long.Their response is that of a slave who is trying to fight his way out of slavery.Since they can't talk,since avenues to air out their grievances have been locked,they have chosen to "speak by acting".So when you yell at your house-help be ready to receive a loud bang on your face.Don't get me wrong!I'm not an alarmist!But I won't refuse to be one!
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