boy

My host mother fired the maid a few weeks ago for various reasons. She did so at the most inopportune time because all of the eligible maids were beginning to go back to their villages to celebrate Tabaski. I think as soon as she fired her she regretted it because of all the work it gave her. The laundry piled up, she became responsible for the cooking, and had to do most of the cleaning. When either Damien or I offered to help her she refused or let us help just a little bit while all the time complaining about all the work she had to do. Her way of searching for a new maid was to talk to every person she encountered and explained her situation. She visited neighbors’ houses and talked to their maids. The topic of a maid was always on her tongue. I think she became pretty worn down. I left for vacation while she was still maid-less.

When I called to check up on the family she told me with great pleasure that she had found someone to do the housework, “a boy” named Mamadou. I was home for his first day of work. My host mom stayed with him the entire day instructing him about how to clean the house and telling him what to do next. These conversations were conducted in French because Mamadou is Guinean and does not speak Wolof. Our other maid did not speak a lick of French and therefore I was lucky enough not to be able to really understand what was being said to her. I don’t think my host family treats Mamadou poorly I just do not like evident class division and some of the expectations they have for him, like he must work on Tabaski when most “maids” have off.

When my host parents refer to Mamadou they refer to him as “the boy.” It disgusts me because that is what slave owners called their adult male slaves. Mamadou and I are about the same age; yet, I have the privilege of going to school and not having any working commitments. I find it awkward that he has to clean my 27-year-old host brother’s room everyday.

On the other hand, having a male clean the house is a progressive action. Who in the United States would trust a young man clean their house. Most people would be too afraid he would break something or that he would do a terrible job. Other people would not dare leave him alone in the house for fear that he would steal. Here in Senegal, which has very strict gender codes that are in favor of women being the sole responsible for work within the household it is acceptable for a male to clean our house. My family has met some criticism even within the house, mainly from my host brother who thinks that men are incapable of cleaning. He probably thinks that because he is lazy and would not know how to sweep if a broom was attached to his arm. My host mom thinks that Mamadou is excellent and is a good cleaner; although, she is not impressed with his attendance record. I always wonder what he is thinking and how he feels to be one of the only males who cleans’ houses. What goes through his head when he is wiping down our front door and the neighborhood bums are drinking attaaya and watching him or when he brings the garbage to the garbage truck with all of the neighborhood maids. I doubt he will stay at our house for a long time because of both societial pressure and because of some of his expectations.