British Ambassador marks International Domestic Workers' Day

To mark the International Day for Domestic Workers, British Ambassador Hugo Shorter hosted at his residence migrant domestic workers, in collaboration with Equip Centre to take up a cooking class with the Ambassador's very own chef. The event was to highlight the importance of personal and professional development for positive and safe employment relationships between employers and domestic workers implemented by Equip Centre. 


Seven live-in domestic workers attended the cooking class offering participants mouthwatering recipes, tips, do's & don'ts. The overall joyous, royal cooking experience was followed by lunch with the ambassador and fellow NGO's working for the same cause. 


Ambassador Hugo Shorter said: "As we promised last year, we are proud to support 'Equip' Centre that is transforming the lives of employers and workers for the better. I'm pleased to have received a group of domestic workers from different nationalities that have travelled a long way from home to make a living in a foreign country. They clearly had a good day, learned something new and made new friends, under Equip's organised outings. The event was especially important because it marked International Day for Domestic Workers and the commitment we all need to make - employers and workers - towards ensuring ethical employment relationships'. 


The founder and director of Equip, Leena Ksaifi stated, "Equip has been operating for 6 months now and the results are shocking and exciting. Now, employers have access to a resourceful and supportive center that believes in professionalism and doing it right. Everyone benefits". The cooking class was to inaugurate the Center's coming soon, Safety and Hygiene in the Kitchen, a course designed by Chef Lara Ariss specifically for live-in domestic workers. Employers are encouraged to register interested workers, and to benefit from the Center's other services that build on communication, management, and vocational skills; including, First Aid with the Lebanese Red Cross, Professionalizing Child and Senior Care, Learning Language, and many more that focus on building communication, management, and vocational skills. 


The event was jointly hosted by the British Embassy and The George Kossaifi Organization (TGKO), a non-governmental organization funded and supported by the British Embassy since 2015. These funds have allowed TGKO to successfully set up the social enterprise, Equip Center: A Center for Domestic Workers that aims to build positive and professional employment relationships that benefit both the employer and the worker

Source: NNA