The Help...Ghana Style

Last Spring my Elko bookies and I read the book, “The Help,” by Kathryn Stockett. This novel is a story about a young white woman in the early 1960s living in Jackson, Mississippi. She becomes interested in the plight of the black maids working for white women, and ends up organizing the maids in an effort to encourage them to write a book about their experiences. Despite the fact that the black maids prepare the food, care for the children, and clean every part of the home, they are not allowed to use the restroom inside. They must keep their utensils separate from the other household items. They are emotionally and psychologically mistreated. The book was a great read, albeit disturbing. I am not old enough to remember any of the civil rights movement, much less experienced it. The way these women were treated was so primitive and unwarranted. If you haven’t read it….read it!

For about a year, I had a housekeeper in Elko. As much as I enjoyed walking into a clean house once every two weeks, there was something that just didn’t sit right with me. Part of it was having someone in my house that I really didn’t know. I also felt like I was judging her. I didn’t feel like she cleaned to my standards, and I would find myself going around cleaning behind her. And yet, I was sort of intimidated or afraid to tell her to do things differently. I know! I know! I was paying her for a service. As her employer, I should be able to have things the way I want them. But, something inside of me wouldn’t allow it to happen. When I let her go, I felt guilty and never hired another housekeeper.

Now that I am in Accra, not only do we have a driver, but we also have a full-time maid. And when I say “full-time,” I mean she is at my house every single day, all day long. Behind our townhouse is a maid’s quarters. It is a separate building, and for some, their home during the week. For those who go home every night, it’s their “break room.” This is where they go to eat, to use the restroom, and where they go just to sit down on a break.

Before Dave and I moved to Accra, I visited with Leslie, one of the veteran Newmont spouses regarding the maid situation. A little background is needed first. Leslie and her husband, Rick, are moving back to the states in June as Dave is taking over Rick’s position with the company. Jeff (Newmont employee) and his wife Mary lived in the house Dave and I are now living. When Mary first moved to Accra, she inherited a maid named Katherine, even though there were many wives telling her that she was not a good worker. Mary felt sorry for her and didn’t want her to lose her job. Jeff and Mary moved from Accra to Perth, Australia the first week of March.

When Leslie and I spoke a few weeks ago, she told me that Mary told her that I should not keep Katherine as my maid. She said that Katherine was simply not capable of doing the job, and that she had tried to work with her, but was not successful in improving her skills. Leslie suggested that her maid, Charity, be transferred to my house. After not a whole lot of thought, I contacted Leslie and told her that I trusted her advice and that I would be happy to have Charity work in our home.

The day Dave and I were dropped off at our townhouse in Cantonment Gardens, a black woman was on the front step. I said to her, “Oh, you must be Charity.” She said, “No. I am Katherine.” Uh oh, I immediately thought. Anyway, Katherine helped us move our suitcases into the house, and was obviously there to stay. I’m assuming that she had officially been assigned to us. That night we went to dinner with a couple of other Newmont folks, and I mentioned the “maid issue.” Dave said something to the effect that we would be fine with Katherine, and that is was “no big deal.” Both of the women said, in unison, “Oh, yes it IS a big deal.” If Mary and Leslie said that you do not want this young woman, then you absolutely do not.

The next day Katherine approached Dave, as I was upstairs. She asked him if he was unhappy with her. He said, “No. Why would you think that?” Katherine explained that she had been contacted by her supervisor who said we had requested Charity work for us. Evidently, one of the women we had gone to dinner contacted whoever is in charge of the housekeepers on our behalf. Later that day, I had to speak with Katherine and explain to her that the decision had been made before we arrived in Accra, and that her work performance wasn’t an issue with us. (How’s that for sugar coating it??) I've only been in Ghana for two days and I've already had to fire someone! Ok....fire is a strong word. She is actually getting reassigned.

The following day Charity showed up to my house for work. As I only had Katherine working in the house for a couple of days, I really didn’t know what to expect on a daily basis. However, once Charity started working….I saw the difference immediately!! With Katherine, each time I left the house, she went to her quarters. With Charity – when I leave the house she continues working.

Charity has a schedule. Every single day she washes, dries, and irons our clothes. And when I say “iron,” I mean she irons EVERYTHING. She irons our sheets, my nightgown, my underwear, and our socks. EVERYTHING! Evidently, the maids are taught this as the clothes collect some bugs during the washing process and even though they go through the dryer, the ironing ensures the bugs are killed before you wear the clothes.

On Mondays and Fridays, Charity sweeps and mops the tile floors. Mopping takes a while as the entire house is nothing but tile. She cleans the bathrooms every day, makes our bed, changes our bed sheets twice a week, sweeps the floors daily, vacuums what little rugs we have a couple of times a week, waters the flowers outside, and cleans up the leaves on the sidewalks. She’ll do whatever I ask of her.

Now, I have to admit that it’s very nice not to have to even think about cleaning another toilet, mopping a floor, or doing a load of laundry. It hasn’t taken me long to get used to it at all. But, then there’s the whole “help” issue. I know she’s getting paid to do what she’s doing, but it’s not much, at least not in American terms. Dave guesses she gets paid 500 cedis a month, which is equivalent to $333 US dollars. I’m not sure she even gets paid that much.

Charity is very respectful of me, although she is extremely timid. She seems afraid to bother me, and approaches me quietly and speaks softly. She rarely speaks, and only when she has a question or if I address her. It’s so unfamiliar to me. I was raised to be self-sufficient and if something needs to be done, I do it myself – or hire someone to do it for me, if it’s beyond my skills. I continue to try and draw her out of her shell by asking her questions about her family and her way of life.

Charity is a single mother who had a child out of wedlock. Her son’s name is Emmanuel Akufo Angong and she calls him Akufo. He is two years old, which is why she goes home every day. I would guess she is about 20 years old – I need to ask!! She has a really pretty face with dimples! I’ll bet her son is cute as well.

Every time I look at Charity I think of “The Help.” I deeply appreciate the work she does around our house, relieving me of the duties I’ve had my entire adult life, and allowing me the time to work, exercise, and play. I find myself thanking her often. There are others that have found the situation here somewhat disturbing, as have I. But, we have been told that this is how it works in Ghana, and the native people consider it “normal.”

If these women told their stories, I wonder what they would say.