Our Amah by Eileen (July 31, 2012)

Our Amah, Mariana, started as our house helper today.  She is an Indonesian lady who looks to be about my age, married with a son who is about seven years old.  The lady from the school who referred her to me told me several times that her husband cannot provide enough for their family so that is why Mariana needs to work.  As far as I understand, the husband is here illegally and so he can't get a good job.  Mariana also works on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a Turkish lady locally who asks her to not only clean but also iron for her, including her towels.  For us she will work on Tuesday and Thursday from about 8:30 to 12:30, then she goes on the bus to pick up her son from school.  She charges RM15 / hour (about $5 / hour).  She did a fantastic job today, even tidying the girls' rooms, eg refolding their blankets and arranging their stuffies nicely.  The girls voluntarily wrote thank you notes for her because they were so happy.