When Damascene Ngerageze, 25, started working as a house-help for a family in Kigali, he expected to look after their young children, cook and clean from 7 am to 8 pm, he would have to regularly work over time with extra duties outside home.

"I work about 18.5hrs from 4.30 am up to 11.00 pm for a wage of Rwf11, 000,” he told Saturday Times.

Two years ago, Ngerageze was brought to the city from Ruhango District by one of their neighbours to work. He had dropped out of school as a result of lack of fees. He had reached Primary Five.

His employer, a businessman with a shop, gave him several responsibilities: looking after their children, cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping and other household errands.

"But now, my job goes beyond these as I am required to carry their customers’ merchandise. I have to do whatever they ask me to do, I have no choice,” he said.

There are hundreds of domestic workers in Rwanda; some families have more than one, according to the Association for the Defence of Human Rights, Sustainable Development and Family Welfare (ADBEF), which works to build capacity of domestic workers.

Most of the house-keepers have similar complaints: long working hours, heavy workload, unfair treatment amid low wages.

Since they are all employed on a casual basis, it implies that the terms of employment such as wages, work hours and time off are determined by the employer.

Wages are often so low, on average its Rwf20,000 per month.

Liliane Murekatete, 20, is another house-keeper in Kimironko, Gasabo District in Kigali.

She hails from Muhanga District. She said she works about 17 hours, from 6 am up to 11 pm and is paid, only Rwf20,000. 

 Apart from house hold chores, she said she serves in her boss’s restaurant.

"I was in Senior two and dropped out of school after getting pregnant. My parents refused to pay school fees for me to go back to school after giving birth. I, therefore, had to look for a job in Kigali,” she said.

Aside from long working hours and heavy workload, most house-helps also don’t know that they have rights.

Fabien Twagirimana, another housekeeper in Kimironko, Gasabo District is paid Rwf12,000.

When asked about the significance of the International Labour Day that was celebrated yesterday, he replied: "This is our bosses’ day to rest and to give us more work to do. I have never got a day off-day to rest, even resting for 30 minutes is almost impossible, so how can I recognise these days for rich people?”

A survey by ADBEF highlighted exploitation, low pay, dismissal without notice and no payment, sexual violence, physical and psychological violence among the challenges faced by domestic workers.

Fabien Mberangabo, Chief Labour Inspector at the Ministry of Public Service and Labor, said the current labour code does not cover house-helps.

Domestic workers fall among casual labourers; the sector is wide and difficult to control such workers, he said.

"However, any house-help whose rights are violated can still report to other institutions such as Rwanda National Police, or local authorities for redress.”

Lyhotely Ndagijimana, the chairperson of ADBEF, said in partnership with UNDP Rwanda, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, and Ministry of Youth and ICT have the work to promote the rights and protection of domestic workers.

Ndagijimana said there is need to empower poor families so children do not leave the countryside to work for meagre wages.

ADBEF also trains domestic workers on reproductive health, family planning, and sexually transmitted infections and HIV and AIDS.

Rose Rwabuhihi, Chief Gender Monitor at the Gender Monitoring Office, advised domestic workers to always report to Police and local authorities in case their rights are violated.