School produces professional domestic workers<\/p>\n
Singgir Kartana, Contributor, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
\"Come on, take my picture. I can drive now,\" Sukati, a 22-year-
\nold housemaid, said. Her hands were on the steering wheel of a
\nminivan. Several other young women, who were in the vehicle, also
\nmade the same request and started to pose for pictures.<\/p>\n
The young women were all cheerful and proud of their new
\nskill, thanks to the Household Workers' School, which teaches
\nthem many new things, including English and computer operating
\nprograms.<\/p>\n
Suprapti, a 19-year-old villager from Gunungkidul, said that
\nshe was thrilled after being able to operate the computer.<\/p>\n
\"It's much easier to type on a computer than a typewriter. If
\nyou make a mistake, you can just delete it. I can now write a
\nletter on the computer,\" said the housemaid, who had never
\ntouched a computer before.<\/p>\n
The Household Workers' School was established in July by a
\nnon-government organization (NGO) called Tjoet Njak Dien Women
\nForum with help from the Ford Foundation and several women's
\ngroups concerned with domestic workers.<\/p>\n
The activists rent a 600-square-meter building on Jl. Nitikan
\nBaru 25, Yogyakarta, for the school. It has several classrooms
\nand a student dormitory.<\/p>\n
The school has the three majors of householding, which teaches
\nstudents about cooking and the skills to handle other household
\nchores, babysitting and nursing of the elderly.<\/p>\n
A total of 50 students are currently studying at the school.
\nThey are between 15 and 35-years old and come from various areas
\nin the provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java, like Magelang,
\nSurakarta and Sragen.<\/p>\n
The students are poor villagers and mostly are only elementary
\nschool graduates. Some have no work experiences at all.<\/p>\n
The NGO set up the school due to their concerns for the
\ndomestic workers who are marginalized and looked down on by
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
Since they usually work long hours -- from early in the
\nmorning before the employers wake up until after the family have
\neaten dinner -- the workers do not have spare time for themselves
\nto develop their interests and learn new things.<\/p>\n
The fact that many of the workers are not professional has
\nresulted in their low bargaining power. Not only do they earn
\nlittle, most of the time they are also treated poorly by their
\nemployers -- mentally and physically.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore we try to improve their skills and broaden their
\nminds. We also encourage them to care about their colleagues and
\nto organize,\" NGO director Lita Anggraini said.<\/p>\n
The Union of Domestic Helpers in Yogyakarta was established in
\nApril to help them overcome problems related to their profession.<\/p>\n
The school, the first of its kind, empowers the students and
\nteaches them to be gender sensitive. They also learn about
\nsolidarity and pluralism.<\/p>\n
Besides the main lessons, like cooking and housekeeping, the
\nschool also has reproduction and human rights classes. In
\naddition, students learn about traditional treatment, including
\nhow to make traditional medicines or jamu.<\/p>\n
The program lasts seven months. Two months for the theory and
\nfive months for the practice. They learn three times a week and
\neach session lasts for 90 minutes.<\/p>\n
The teaching staff are professionals from different
\ninstitutions, like the Yogyakarta Language Institute, the
\nTarakanita Academy of Social Welfare, and also from the Tjoet
\nNjak Dien Women Forum.<\/p>\n
The NGO also changed the term for PRT, which stands for
\nPembantu Rumah Tangga, from the Household Helpers to the
\nHousehold Workers because they do not only help but they do all
\nthe work.<\/p>\n
The school recruits students by spreading the information
\nthrough the media and brochures. Courses and also the dormitory
\nfor those coming outside Yogyakarta are free.<\/p>\n
\"We prioritize accepting the poor, especially graduates of
\nelementary schools or junior high schools who cannot afford
\nhigher education. But we also accept those who have already
\nworked,\" Zainuddin, the school principal and activist of Tjoet
\nNjak Dien Women Forum, said.<\/p>\n
The students will receive a certificate upon graduation. Tjoet
\nNjak Dien Women Forum also offers job placements for its
\ngraduates. Unlike domestic worker agencies, the NGO does not
\ncharge any fee. However, the graduates are also free to find any
\njob by themselves.<\/p>\n
Zainuddin said the school aimed to produce professional
\nhousehold workers so the graduates would have a better bargaining
\nposition. They are also expected to have the ability to organize
\ntheir colleagues.<\/p>\n
\"We do not mean to encourage them to change the profession,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
But some students had another idea. They hoped their new
\nskills would enable them to get better jobs.<\/p>\n
\"Who wants to be a housemaid for life? After I get married, I
\nwill find another job,\" said Heni, chairwoman of the Yogyakarta
\nHousehold Workers Union.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/school-produces-professional-domestic-workers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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