Imagine working for 30 of your most productive years in a job that is undervalued, underpaid and unrecognized, only for you to retire with no income, no pension, no saving? It can be depressing, right?

My work with domestic workers started in the year 2015 when I started a Domestic Workers placement agency. It was then that I came face to face with the plight of domestic workers. Domestic work is done mostly by women who lack other avenues to earn an income, these women come from poor backgrounds, are either widowed or divorced, they undergo social stigma, mistreatment, exploitation and their rights violated. They earn meagre salaries and work under severe work conditions as they lack the ability to bargain for better pay and working conditions.

I saw a need for an intervention that led to the founding of Domestic Professionals Association of Kenya (DPAK) that strives for economic opportunities, rights, and voice for women domestic workers. The association raises awareness on the important role domestic workers play in our society and improves their access to employment through capacity building and skills development. Lack of financial education and access to financial services for domestic workers led us to register DPAK Sacco Ltd in 2022, a domestic workers Sacco that equips domestic workers with the skills to manage their finances and provides them with a platform to save, access credit and invest. We aspire to see a world where decent work and financial inclusion is reality for Domestic Workers

Elizabeth Gitau

Managing Director & Founder