Our primary beneficiaries, female domestic workers (including young refugees), are more likely to be employed in service sectors that are hit hardest by COVID-19. When healthcare systems are stretched, care responsibilities are “downloaded” onto women and girls, who often bear responsibility for caring for ill family members and the elderly. The closure of schools further exacerbates the burden of unpaid care work by women.

In order to help our beneficiaries as much as possible, our shelter continues to operate 24/7. All shelter services, such as in-house tutoring, medical check-ups, childcare, pregnancy care, and psycho-social support are still being provided. The shelter is in close communication with nearby health centers in cases of emergencies and is adhering to strict hygiene procedures. Our staff at the shelter are provided with protective gear, travel funds, training on COVID-19 preparedness, and regular debriefing sessions with mental health counselors to cope with this stressful period.

We have encouraged our domestic worker communities to form small units of five colleagues/families who check on each other and report problems to designated leaders within their localities. The leaders report these incidences to the CDTD project team daily. The project team coordinates interventions on a case-by-case basis.

For our own team, we are championing mutual care -- prioritizing compassion; taking more time (virtually) to check in with our teams, colleagues, communities we work in; and not being afraid to model vulnerability to others.