Earning with Dignity: The Everyday Courage of a Domestic Worker
Tracking Indian Youth Workers: Lata
The Tracking Indian Youth Workers Media Fellowship presents the next in a series of stories capturing the lives of young workers across India.
Lata, a 29-year-old domestic worker from a village near Chhapra in Bihar, now lives and works in Delhi. Her life story reflects resilience shaped by poverty, early marriage, and the responsibility of motherhood. Despite limited education and difficult circumstances, she has built independence through hard work. Today, her greatest motivation is giving her son a life filled with opportunities she never had.
“I may clean people’s homes, but I do it with honesty and pride.”
Read her full story below. Profile by Jaisica Tanwar.
1. Where are you from, and what was your childhood like?
I’m 29 years old and originally from a small village near Chhapra in Bihar. My childhood was full of struggles. We didn’t have steady electricity, and during the rainy season our roof would often leak. My sisters and I studied under kerosene lamps. Life was very basic, and there was always some challenge or the other.
2. Tell me about your family. What do your father and mother do?
My father worked as a daily-wage labourer in construction and often migrated to other states for work. My mother stayed at home and raised the four of us. I was the second eldest, so I started helping early, especially when my mother was unwell.
3. How much did you study, and where?
I studied up to Class 4 in the government school in my village. I really liked Hindi and drawing, but my family couldn’t afford to continue my education beyond that.
4. What did you want to become growing up?
I wanted to become a teacher. But in our village, girls rarely got such opportunities. I had to leave school and got married when I was around 14 years old.
5. Did you go to college?
No, I could not continue my studies after Class 4, so college was never an option for me.
6. Was your education aligned with your current job? If not, how did your career path change?
There wasn’t really a planned career path. I started working out of necessity rather than choice. Most of what I know today I’ve learned through work and life experiences.
7. What is your current job? How did you get started in this line of work?
I work as a househelp in Delhi. I clean, wash clothes and dishes, and sometimes cook in different homes. I started about eight years ago when my husband became very sick because of drinking, and I had just given birth to my first child. A neighbour helped me find my first employer.
8. What does a typical day at work look like for you?
I leave home around 6:30 in the morning and go from house to house until about 3 p.m. I finish cleaning and other chores in each home. These days, my son has summer holidays and doesn’t want to stay with his father, so I often have to take him along. It’s difficult because many houses don’t allow children, so sometimes I leave him in a park nearby, which is risky and stressful.
9. What aspects of your job do you enjoy? What do you not like about your work?
I like that I have become independent. Earlier, I depended on my husband for everything, but now I earn money, buy groceries, and manage the household myself. What I dislike is the lack of respect at times. Some people don’t even use my name—they just call me “kaamwali.”
10. How much do you earn per day or month?
I earn around ₹18,000 a month, depending on how many houses I am working in.
11. What are your short-term and long-term professional goals?
In the short term, I want to move to a one-room apartment with a personal toilet. Right now, we share one bathroom with four other families, and it doesn’t feel safe. In the long term, I dream of opening a small food stall or starting a tiffin service. I love cooking and want to save enough money to start something of my own.
12. How will your current job help you meet your goals?
This job helps me survive and slowly save money. It’s difficult with so many expenses, but it gives me the means and hope to keep working toward my goals.
13. What do you think you will be doing in five years?
Hopefully something better—maybe running my own small tiffin business. I don’t want to do domestic work forever, but for now it is necessary.
14. Can you walk me through a day in your life, both at work and outside of it?
I wake up early, cook food at home, get my son ready, and then leave for work. I walk to nearby houses and finish my work by the afternoon. After returning home, I eat, rest a little, and complete more household chores. When my son comes with me during the day, it becomes more stressful to manage everything.
15. What part of your daily routine do you enjoy the most? The least?
I enjoy the early mornings and the walks between houses when I meet other househelps. We talk, share stories, and laugh together. What I dislike is when people treat me with suspicion or disrespect.
16. What keeps you motivated?
My son keeps me motivated. I want him to have a better life and more opportunities than I had.
17. How do you spend your salary?
Most of my earnings go toward rent, food, school fees, and basic needs. There is usually very little left to save.
18. What is your workplace like? Are you treated fairly and with respect?
Some employers treat me well—they offer tea, give old clothes, or give gifts during festivals. Others are very strict or suspicious. I have experienced both kindness and humiliation.
19. Have you learned new skills through this work?
Yes, I have learned to use many appliances such as washing machines, mixers, and induction stoves. At first I was scared, but I slowly learned everything on my own.
20. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy listening to Bhojpuri songs and watching cooking videos on YouTube. I like learning new recipes and dishes from different states.
21. How do you de-stress after a tough day?
Talking to my son, resting, or chatting with neighbours helps me relax. Sometimes we gossip and laugh, which makes the day feel lighter.
22. Who supports you the most in your personal and professional life?
The other women in my basti support me the most. We help each other a lot—if someone is sick, others fill in for their work. My husband works irregularly, so I cannot depend on him much.
23. Are you part of any groups or networks?
I am not part of a formal union, but I am in a few WhatsApp groups where we share job opportunities and warn each other about employers who treat workers badly.
24. What motivates you to keep going even when times are tough?
My child and my self-respect motivate me. I may clean people’s homes, but I do my work honestly and with pride.
25. What life lessons have you learned through your journey so far?
I have learned that life teaches you while you are living it. You keep moving forward and learning through every experience.
26. What are your thoughts on the opportunities and challenges facing young workers in India?
Young people today have more exposure than before, but there are still fewer secure jobs. For girls like me, the challenges are even greater—limited education and little family support. Work may be available, but stability and safety are often missing.
This is an ongoing series of profiles documenting the experiences of young people across India. Stay tuned for more stories from young workers across India. Follow us on social media for more updates.