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June 2020 VODW Update

Welcome to all our new subscribers! Please make sure you share and help get the word out. We'll be sending an update every month and will be blogging more this year. 

"I Support Domestic Workers Rights" - VODW

The Voice of Domestic Workers (VODW) celebrate International Domestic Workers Day 2020

 Our celebration began on the 14th of June with a global virtual event hosted by International Domestic Workers’ Day Federation (IDWFED). Around the World Trade Unions, NGOs’ ILO, UN and Domestic Workers organisation like the VODW have given a space to participate through Zoom webinar. Here’s the IDWFED Newsletter for the update on the International Domestic Workers Day Global event. The event hashtag is ‘’#CareForThoseWhoCareForYou’’ referring to the domestic workers as a carer to children, the elderly and the household. The VODW main celebration was held on the actual day, the 16th of June. We asked our members, domestic workers worldwide and supporters to send us a photo holding a placard with "I support domestic workers’ Rights’’ and we received many photos, thank you to all of you who participated. We held a panel event with 5 of our members.

Lunchtime Live Panel Event

Watch the Lunchtime Live Panel video here!
Please click here to watch the live panel event on the work conditions of migrant domestic workers.

Video Competition Winners

Watch the 1st prize-winning video here!
We also held a video competition with the theme "Decent Work for Domestic Workers". Here are the winning videos: 1st prize, 2nd Prize, 3rd Prize and we selected 3 more videos that we will use in our campaign.

Campaign Update

We also planned to launch our campaign petition to re-instate the pre-2012 Overseas Domestic Worker Visa (read more about this issue here), which contains the right to change employer, the right to renew visa, the right to settlement and the right to British citizenship. The petition has been submitted already but it hasn't gone live up to this date. We will update everyone once our petition is live.

VODW Supports Black Lives Matter

This month, we actively followed and participated in a campaign against racism: Black Lives Matter! That's the famous slogan nowadays. It is in honour of one of the African Americans who died in the hands of the police, George Floyd. 

Many migrant domestic workers are being discriminated against not just by employers but by the system. Migrant Domestic Workers are also the only group of workers couldn’t renew visa leaving us undocumented when our 6 Months Visa ends. 

Message of Gratitude
VODW Class Update
 
Since the pandemic, VODW has transformed our every Sunday classes in Unite the Union to on-line virtual classes. This has been working smoothly despite the hurdle in adjusting to new technology. In ESOL, we really enjoy the class because we are learning about good grammar and forming sentences, English communication and comprehension while raising our political awareness. Last two Sundays we studied about the campaign, the rights of Domestic Workers, about the plight of George Floyd and racism.
 
This is our gratitude message to all, please click here.

Member Testimonial - Dotty: "I joined 3 Sunday’s. It's fun. I enjoy doing it but I need to learn more. At first, it's difficult for me because this is my first time to do the online class and I don't have knowledge about it but the tutors and other members help me to join the class. Now, I am so much happy and I try my best to achieve more."

In Body & Mind Wellness Workshop, Roman has been teaching us across the ocean. He is based in Australia now and thanks to technology, we are one click away. We have been writing a song together "We are here for you" and soon we will let you hear. We also do yoga and dancing as a way to help us energise our body to release our stress and isolation. We also have sharing moment on how much this Covid-19 impacting all our lives. We discuss some ideas for looking after ourselves.

Click our NHS dance for all key workers here.

Member Testimonial - Ann: "Online Classes are a big help for me to cope on my boredom and loneliness in this Pandemic but most of all I learned."

IT Computer class with our Tutor Elijah. He teaches us how to use Google Docs. We can write and design on this platform even if we don't have Microsoft Office. We also did a brochure competition as our project is based on what we want to do for our own business plan.

Watch our IT class in action here!
Our Covid-19 Update 

Here’s the coverage of our food delivery answer finally see in person our members affected by this pandemic. Watch Part 1 and Part 2.

Covid-19 Food Delivery Part 1
Covid-19 Hardship Fund Appeal 

The Hardship Fund Appeal that our management team has set-up has been a big help to our members who have been affected by Covid-19 is still accepting donations.
Donate to the Covid-19 Hardship Fund
Support from our Community

We've seen some incredible fundraising from our fans on social media, we are so excited and grateful.

See these two amazing contributions here: 
Thank you so much, Benedict! Follow Benedict on Instagram here
Thank you so much, Asai team! Follow them on Instagram here
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