The need for the presence of a reliable domestic helper – the vast majority of whom are migrant women – is not a luxury in contemporary Cyprus. For many families, having a trusted person who can support the household, children, the elderly, and people with mobility or other health problems is a matter of survival. And yet, finding the “right” domestic helper proves, in most cases, to be a painful and stressful process.
The difficulties involved in searching for the right person who can stand by someone in need of care are analysed for Politis by Nota Avraamidou, a domestic workers’ recruitment agent. As she points out, this is a complex issue with social, humanitarian, and institutional dimensions, one that often generates tensions as well as serious problems in people’s daily lives.
From music to care
Ms Avraamidou, originally from Paphos and permanently based in Larnaca, comes from a family with a strong love of music, which naturally raises the question of how she was professionally led into this particular field. As she explains, although music has always been part of her life, it did not offer her a stable professional footing. As a result, the need to seek new paths was inevitable.
A decisive role in her choice was played by her personal experience, as there is a person with mobility difficulties in her family – her sister. The search for people who could genuinely support the family in coping with every day, multifaceted difficulties brought her face to face with reality: many lacked either the willingness or the sensitivity to engage seriously with her sister, who required specialised care. From this experience emerged her need to become involved in the field of care and mediation.
Having herself selected and worked with domestic helpers for her own home, she realised that she could manage this sector responsibly and with empathy. She thus found herself acting as a link between employer and domestic helper, seeking the most suitable person for each case. As she notes, a domestic helper may prove ideal for one family, while another may not be able to meet their needs, without this necessarily implying inadequacy.
‘The right hand’
Today, she notes, the domestic helper constitutes the “right hand” of thousands of Cypriot households, both for household needs and for the care of elderly people or individuals with mobility difficulties. This need usually arises at critical moments, when a family is already in a difficult position and requires immediate assistance. However, as Ms Avraamidou stresses, it is by no means easy to find the right person.
On the part of domestic helpers, there is often difficulty in understanding the responsibility that caring for another human being entails. There is also, of course, the issue of language and cultural differences, which in many cases lead to misinterpretations, misunderstandings, and conflicts. On the other hand, employers must recognise the sensitive humanitarian role they play towards the worker, who essentially enters their private space, becomes part of the family and its daily life, and deserves respect, trust, recognition, and protection.
Qualifications and skills
For Ms Avraamidou, the most important factor behind the problems that arise on both sides is the lack of professional training. She argues that the training of childcare providers should differ substantially from that of caregivers for the elderly. Needs, behaviours, and responsibilities are different and require specialised knowledge and skills.
Although some women working in the sector attend seminars on elderly care or nursing support before coming to Cyprus, the system continues to exhibit gaps, resulting in individuals without appropriate experience being placed in highly demanding positions. At the same time, those who employ domestic helpers must treat them with respect and understanding, manage them as people with emotions, and define roles from the outset, always bearing in mind that they have hired a helper and not someone to fulfil every personal whim.
Domestic helpers also face significant difficulties at the institutional level. Ms Avraamidou stresses the need for legislative revision, explaining that “the objective should be for fully trained individuals to come, especially in supportive assistance for the elderly. Not all domestic helpers can, or have the skills to, participate in the care of people. The law should differentiate between placing a worker in a family for a supportive role in organising a household and placing one for the care of an elderly person or an individual with health problems.” This distinction, she adds, would contribute to better cooperation within the home and would not unduly burden vulnerable individuals, whether those receiving care or the workers themselves.
Developing relationships
Particular reference is also made to the emotional dimension of the relationship. As Ms Avraamidou notes, it is inevitable that emotional bonds will develop. When cooperation functions properly, the domestic helper becomes a member of the family. When trust is lost, however, the continuation of the relationship becomes harmful for all involved.
“This proper interlinked cooperation, within the ideology of utilitarianism, dates back to the 19th century. Through the ancient texts of Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, and Christian teachings, it is argued that, due to the nature of humankind, for the success of others’ happiness we must first be complete ourselves; there must be quality of life with kindness from everyone – from domestic helpers, from employers, and from the entire system. There must be cooperation from the whole society in which we all live together,” she explains.
Phenomena of exploitation
The arrival of domestic helpers from countries facing acute economic problems is directly linked to economic migration. As she notes, no Cypriot would accept working under the same terms and remuneration, nor living in the employer’s home. At the same time, phenomena of exploitation are not absent, particularly during the transitional stage before a helper’s final registration, resulting in many women becoming trapped in illegality without the possibility of regularisation.
The problems arising from this relationship are many and require effort from both sides. The worker needs clear guidance, courtesy, and trust. The employer must ensure humane working conditions, adequate rest, food, and safety.
Despite the negative stories and extreme behaviours that periodically come to light, Ms Avraamidou believes that with control, oversight, and honest communication, solid foundations can be laid. Her message to society and the competent authorities is clear: only through understanding, goodwill, integrity, trust, and cooperation from all can harmony be achieved within a household and meaningful assistance be ensured for those who truly need it.