We like to introduce you to another one of the writers for the Our Homes, Our Stories book. This week is Miriam Escander’s turn. She shares why she joined this project, and gives us a glimpse about what her story relates: the troubles she encountered when she left her husband behind in the Philippines. 

I joined this project because writing is my one passion, and I wanted to enhance my writing skills and see how far I can go from here. God doesn’t give us our talents for keeping, they are for us to share, inspire and encourage other people. I want to show people, especially my fellow OFW, that we can be more than domestic helpers only. We can explore things beyond our job, all we need to do is set our goals in life and concentrate on them. The thought that my work – for the first time ever – will be published in a book excites me.

I like the story I wrote for this project because I am the hero of this story. My own story, the one that is featured in Our Homes, Our Stories is a very personal one. I write about how my husband cheated on me thrice after I left to work in Singapore, and how I managed to cope with it. It was difficult to even start to process this, especially since I was far away from him, across an ocean.

My life asks for so much multitasking; I need to make a living, figure out how to fix my problems, secure my children’s emotional well-being, and on top of that face my own emotional issues. I always concentrate on my work and my children first. They are my strength and the reason why I keep fighting.

 

One thing I have learned since starting this project is how important it is to share your story with others, knowing that what you write will be read by others, and hoping that by sharing it publicly, someone might be inspired by it.

I’m hoping that my fellow domestic workers and our employers will read this book. For my fellow domestic workers – the stories will inspire you to aim high and reach for your dreams, to be strong for every trial that you will face. And for the employers – I hope that reading it will help them understand our struggles, the pain of leaving our kids behind, becoming a stranger to them, not being able to be on their side for years when they need a mother to care for them, especially when they are sick. The book shows all the things we need to go through in order to come here, escaping the poverty in our country for our kid’s future. We can always earn money but we can never earn back the time we have lost.

Words can touch people, so I hope it will make a difference when employers read this in how they treat their domestic workers. It will all depend on how they let the words instill in their minds. My own employers are aware of the project, and they can’t wait to have a copy of it. They are happy for me. They are very supportive and I’m so blessed to have found them.

The most important message that I want to share with others in my story, especially for those in difficult circumstances is: don’t walk away from God, have faith in him. As a Christian, my religion has helped me a lot in overcoming my problems in my personal life. No woman would want to experience what I did, but my journey was worth it in the end, as I came out stronger. There was a purpose behind the pain.

 

Our Homes, Our Stories will be launched by HOME on March 11th 2018. You can find more information on the book, and how to obtain a copy here: https://myvoiceathome.org/our-homes-our-stories/