An Indonesian domestic worker in Hong Kong has vowed to train to become a journalist to let more people understand the real life of a domestic worker in the city through her news stories and photos.
Arista, who has been working as a domestic worker in Hong Kong for ten years, says being a journalist is her dream, according to a video interview on news website HK01.com.
As she loves writing and photography, on Sundays she works as a voluntary photojournalist for an Indonesian newspaper, reporting on the lives of Indonesians in Hong Kong.
Arista feels that some in Hong Kong discriminate against people like her because they don’t understand them. It is common for domestic workers to face unfair situations and to find themselves being looked down upon by Hong Kong people, which hurts their feelings.
She wants to let more Hong Kong people understand Indonesian domestic workers through her news stories.
Apart from working as a reporter on Sundays, Arista also organizes workshops for fellow domestic workers in Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island, where Indonesian domestic workers like to gather. At her workshops, she teaches them how to write and how to be a journalist.
“Some bosses think we just hang out with friends for fun on Sundays, but our group is not just sitting in the park,” says Arista.
Her study group helps domestic workers to learn English, Cantonese, and photography.
“We have many things to learn and we have potential. If we can only get the chance, we can excel ourselves,” she says.
Arista and her friends also run a photo exhibition showing Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong.
She understands that domestic workers are far away from home, and sometimes they face ups and downs. But she feels that if they stand strong together they can overcome hardships.