Original version

BBC World Service South Asia

The Conversation

Factual: Life Stories

Two women from different parts of the world share the stories of their lives

Two women from different parts of the world, united by a common passion, experience or expertise, share the stories of their lives.

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Conversation: Domestic Workers: Marissa Begonia and Siphokazi Mdlankomo

Magazines & Reviews

Marissa Begonia (l) and Siphokazi Mdlankomo (r)

Domestic Workers: Marissa Begonia and Siphokazi Mdlankomo

BBC World Service - The Conversation, Domestic Workers: Marissa Begonia and Siphokazi Mdlankomo

Life in service: the secret tales of domestic workers in the Philippines and South Africa

Domestic workers from the Philippines and South Africa share experiences of their working lives.

Siphokazi Mdlankomo comes from South Africa and Marissa Begonia from the Philippines but they have plenty in common. They have both dedicated a great deal of their lives to taking care of other people's households and children. They are Kim Chakanetsa's guests on this programme and they are discussing life as a domestic worker.

Marissa Begonia left her three young children to work overseas. It was a tough decision for her but she couldn't bear to see them going hungry at home in the Philippines. She found work initially in Hong Kong and then Singapore and finally London. Her choice has worked out for her, after years of providing for her children back home, she was finally able to bring them to join her in London. But the separation has taken its toll on all of them, and so has the work. Melissa has seen and heard of so much mistreatment among domestic workers that she decided to set up an organisation to protect the rights and welfare of others in her profession. The organisation is called Justice for Domestic Workers.

Until very recently Siphokazi Mdlankomo was working for a family in Johannesburg, South Africa but she's had to leave her job to focus full time on her new role on television and writing cookery books. She came to fame when she was runner-up in the South African reality TV show Master Chef. Her cooking has come a long way since she started her working life. She looks back fondly at the young Siphokazi, just starting out in her career, back then, she didn't know what garlic was, or fresh herbs or how to make a piece of toast.

Siphokazi and Marissa share their intimate, moving and sometimes funny stories of running someone else's household.

(Photo: Marissa Begonia (L) and (R) Siphokazi Mdlankomo)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Conversation

Domestic Workers: Marissa Begonia and Siphokazi Mdlankomo

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service South Asia

About BBC World Service