Background
From Bandung, West Java, 4 hours from Jakarta by bus, Wida is 32 years old and mother of one child, a girl, 12 years old. Her parents, both now retired, used to work on their own land growing rice and corn. Wida has good education, Senior High School (12 years). She is youngest of 6, all girls.

Job History

1. Wida's first started working as a domestic helper in Brunei when she was 25 years old. She worked THERE for 3 years for family of 5 including 3 children aged 4, 9 and 13. Madam was working. Wida took care of the housekeeping and care of the children.
2. After Brunei, she worked for another 3 years in her own city Bandung. Her host family consisted of the parents, Madam's sister and 3 children aged 12, 4 and 2. Madam was a homemaker, ferrying the children to and from school while Wida attended to most of the housework.
3. Next she worked in Jakarta for 1½ years. The host family lived in a big house and cleaning kept her busy. She did not have to cook or take care of children.
4. In Singapore she worked for a local Chinese family of 5 the youngest of whom was already 17 and Wida's duties were cleaning, laundry and washing the family car. She was here for only 6 months. She was fired when she mixed coloured with white clothes. It is highly unlikely that she will ever forget to separate coloured from whites before loading the clothes into the washer.
5. Her next job last 2 years and she left because Madam did not pay her salary regularly. Even now Madam still owes Wida some unpaid salary. The matter is now in MOM's hands.
6. Currently she is working for a family of 5, all grown up, including Granny who is in her mid-eighties. She is not sick, but now in the best of health. Wida keeps and eye on her and assists her when needed, such as helping her when she takes a bath. However, Granny has 10 children and she is in the habit of staying with a different offspring and Wida's absence will not have a negative impact on her.

Cooking
Cooking is not her forte, but she can cook Indonesian food. However, she is willing to learn if her next employer is willing to teach her. And while she is learning find her Indonesian food palatable.

Observation
Wida's forte is cleaning cleaning. In Jakarta her host family lived in a 4-storey house and there was much cleaning to do, so much so that cleaning was her main duty. In Singapore her first host family also lived in a 4-storey house that required much cleaning.

Personality and Proficiency in English
Wida's English is about average for Indonesian domestic helpers. I have occasionally lapsed into Malay to communicate with her. However, she has a good education (12 years) and should be intelligent enough to learn more of English given the chance.

When available: As Soon As Possible

Profile by Karl Tan
Licensed Employment Agent since 1981

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