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[ soles & stories JRDN ] Rose

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Rose’s journey to Jordan was a long time in the making.

After giving birth to her first child, a girl named Alyssa, she applied with an agency in Manila hoping to work abroad, but things never progressed past the application stage.

Luckily Rose managed to find work at an electronics company alongside her husband, and they struggled by in the Philippines for twelve years, growing their family of three with the addition of two boys over that time.

“When I was in the Philippines I pray and pray and told God I hope I can work in other countries,” says Rose, recounting her long-term desire to work overseas, knowing that it would mean earning more for her family.

Those prayers were answered three years ago when Rose received a phone call from an agency in Manila offering her work in Jordan. Despite going through a questionable process with the agency, and not knowing any specifics about her employment in Jordan, Rose didn’t let her fears overwhelm her, and set off for work in Amman.

Being employed by a kind family has made a huge difference for Rose and she realizes she is in a good position, with many other domestic workers not being so lucky in their employment. Rose is determined to make the most of her present opportunity in Amman, as she realizes how much of a difference her work makes to her children’s future.

“As long as I stay strong I will work,” she says, with a seriousness that underlines her commitment to helping her family.

Rose has formed a good set of plans around how she can best look after her family and her main goal, after renting a house in the Philippines for the past 13 years, is to save enough to buy her family a home, something that will set her children up very well. “I want my children to have a nice future, so even when I am gone I can be happy,” she says.