A lot of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) might have higher salaries but many of them are also supporting many people. Not only are they providing financial support to their spouses or partners and their children, many are also supporting their parents as well as their siblings and their respective families.
Many end up with no money left for themselves; not savings, no investments, not even real estate as ‘souvenir’ for the days they toiled hard abroad.
Photo credit: Jhoy Atido / Kami PH
But there are also a number of OFWs who become an inspiration to many for being able to fulfill their dreams and overcome trials in life. One of these is Jhoy Atido.
Atido had only been working as OFW for 2 years but she was already able to build a house of her own. What makes it even more inspiring is that Atido is a domestic helper, not someone with a very high salary in Saudi Arabia but she was able to achieve this.
The young OFW shared that she grew up in a very poor family and had always dreamed of having a house that was so tattered they had to spread basins and pails inside when it rains because water comes in from the hole-ridden roof.
Atido was 21 years old when she went to Saudi Arabia as domestic helper. She was lucky to have found a kind employer who offered to let her get an advance from her salary so she can build a house for her family.
Photo credit: Jhoy Atido / Kami PH
She had only been working with the family for 4 months at the time, but her employer already trusted her enough to offer this salary advance. Thus, Atido was quickly able to start building the house she had dreamed of for her family.
The employer let her go on vacation and enjoy her house just 1 year into the contract. When she went back to Saudi, however, she was assigned to the household of her employer’s household.
This was a difficult year for Atido who had to serve many masters, working at her new employer’s home and even at the houses of her employer’s children. While life had been difficult, she kept herself strong by focusing on her goals for her family.
Photo credit: Jhoy Atido / Kami PH
She was lucky, though, as she is single and could send all her money to her family to build the house. This led to Atido being able to build that house for her family. Still, this served as inspiration to many OFWs.
