Yaya Diaries: Yaya Ritchie

A month before my SIL gave birth, she found a yaya.  Since she didn't need her yet - she lent her to me to be 'trained'.  And so I interviewed Yaya Ritchie when she got to my house.  I always interview to scare, haha!  Bad, right?  But I do that so that my helpers know that I am firm.  I've always believed too that interviews are only for show.  I wanted to see her in action and at the back of my mind, I was expecting the worse.

That night, I told her to watch over Connor.  Connor was 5 months old then and he was gaining very little weight.  I was very worried because if you compare him with Kailee - Connor was so far behind.  During her first day - I was already impressed.  She knew what she needed to do, plus she knew how to handle a breastfed baby!  She was such a breath of fresh air, she was very helpful in every way, I mean in EVERY way.

She was quiet, and not chatty.  She seldom uses her cellphone.  She's simple and down to earth.  Very respectful of the things that I wanted done.  She was very helpful, may kusa.  She was also not picky when it comes to food (unlike Yaya D).  I learned that she was a domestic helper for 2 years in Hong Kong.  She told us that when you are a DH in Hong Kong, you literally did everything.  Clean the house, do the groceries, take care of the baby and literally EVERYTHING.  But the pay, according to her was big - so she sacrificed.  She was very much interested to go back again since the pay was big - thus she can save more.  I told myself that at the rate my SIL was paying her for, I wouldn't mind paying the same amount if she was employed with me.  She was very efficient, I swear - she was the perfect yaya.  She was very clean with herself, the baby and the room.  She was organized and well prepared.  She knew how to suction out snot with a bulb suction.  She knew how to nebulize, she was alert, attentive and listens very well to instruction.  I am all praises, but seriously - she is really really THAT good!  She was supposed to be trained under me - but I will tell you what I told my SIL - Yaya Ritchie didn't need to be trained.  I knew from seeing her work that she knew what to do.  A few days with me, I gave my SIL a thumbs up, I told her that her baby will be in good hands.  Ganon ako ka-impressed.  Her good qualities as a yaya didn't end there.  She knew she also had to get along with my other helpers - and she did.  No conflicts in the one month she was with me.  She's also great with nursery rhymes!  Hahaha.. It was from her that I learned the song 'Five Little Monkeys' - she introduced me to Mother Goose club in Youtube!  Hahaha...  I really super liked her!!

A month later, my SIL gave birth and I had to return her.  It was sad but at least I knew that my new nephew would be in good hands.  We saw Yaya Ritchie regularly for 3 months, we would visit them and she would visit us (my nephew in tow of course!)  When she would stay in the house with my nephew, she felt very at home and comfortable.  I'm sure it's very obvious that I was very fond of her - mabait eh!

After a few months, I learned from my SIL that Yaya Ritchie had told her that she wanted to leave.  Apparently, Yaya Ritchie and my SIL's house help were not getting along.  I had to ask why, so I spoke to Yaya Ritchie, she relayed to me that she was threatened, that her life was threatened by the house helper and she was so afraid for her life.  She was crying when she told me, she was really really scared.  It came to a point, that Yaya Ritchie and the house help had to be separated.  I volunteered my home for Yaya Ritchie to stay at - for the time being that she didn't find a job yet.  I told her that I would pay for a portion of her salary since she will be somehow watching over Connor.  But it never happened.  Last I heard was that she went home to the province, Yaya D. told us.  I even texted her that I would help her find work.  Imagine ha, that was how much I really really liked her.

A few months later, I saw in this FB group that someone was going to hire her.  This girl messaged me, lets call her M and I replied.  I told M what a gem Yaya Ritchie was.  I was all praises, and she was actually baffled because Yaya Ritchie stayed with me for only a month, yet I was all praises.  What I told her was really simple - it was that Yaya Ritchie took care of Connor very well.  She was really nice, good with infants, honest, reliable and efficient.  So M took her in.  But it didn't work out, Yaya Ritchie only stayed with her for 2 weeks.  Yaya Ritchie's reason for leaving was that an aunt of her was sick and she needed to help this aunt.  This was a valid reason - because while she was with me, I knew of this aunt she was helping.  I evern accompanied Yaya Ritchie to a bank so she can withdraw some money from her ATM account.  Mind you, Yaya Ritchie has some money saved up.  And its not just 4 digits, more like 5 digits worth!  I was impressed, ha!  I've never met a yaya/helper who had money saved up!

So anyway,  M, out of trust - gave Yaya Ritchie a part of her month's salary in advance.  (This was all relayed to my by M through FB chat - so it's documented)  M said it was her 'help' to Yaya Ritchie and she accepted.  She just told Yaya Ritchie to come back when everything was settled.  But after two weeks or so, Yaya Ritchie told her that she wasn't coming back.  A few weeks later, she got a text from Yaya Ritchie saying that Yaya Ritchie found employment in Hong Kong.  When M told me this, I apologized because it was through my recommendations that M took Yaya Ritchie in, but M was very understanding - she knew the risks and was thankful.  M and I would chat here and there, asking how each other was.

A few weeks ago, I got an FB message from M.

 I asked how she knew and that if Yaya Ritchie texted her, below are her replies:

I was shocked and floored!  I mean, when M told me Yaya Ritchie left for Hong Kong, I thought to myself - kahit gaano ka bait ang Yaya, they're all the same talaga - they just needed the money.  But when I got this message for M.  OH MY GOSH, I couldn't believe it.  I mean, I was really happy because Yaya Ritchie did something NO OTHER HELPER WILL EVER EVER DO!!  And that is to pay back their advances to their employers!  Imagine, she is already in Hong Kong yet she still remembered her obligation.  I was seriously thinking that it was goodbye P5,000.00 of M!  But I guess not!  It was really a miracle, seriously - don't you think so?

What does that say about Yaya Ritchie?  It says so much about her character.

So Yaya Ritchie, wherever you are in Hong Kong, GOD BLESS YOU!

We miss you Yaya Chi!!  Connor is a little boy na!  I miss you whenever I think about you!!  I wish to bump into you when I'm in Hong Kong!  I'm sure I'd give you a very tight hug and praise you infront of your employers!  You should see Kailee, she's a lovely little girl, you would be proud of her too!

This is the only picture I have of Yaya Ritchie and its with Connor pa.

There is still hope pala for these helpers.  It's not all bad I guess, but its so hard for us to trust since we feel that most every helper that came into our lives were bad.  I wish there were more people like Yaya Ritchie.  Mabuhay Ka, Yaya Ritchie!