The rise of ‘cucu’: Why Kenyans are hiring old house helps

 She says it can be a lifetime job [Photo: Courtesy]

Kenyan mothers have for ages had myriad complaints about young house helps who can be quite a handful: they tempt husbands, are lazybones, embezzle foodstuff, watch endless Naija movies and can steal children when not feeding them aspirin and spirits to sneak in horny boyfriends.

Some Kenyans have a found ways of ironing out this domestic crease: hiring ‘Miss Cucu Mboch.’

She could be a retired mother of 10 with creaking knees and a bent back, but she comes with proven training, eye for detail, marriage counselling credentials and a grandma’s disposition that can instill the fear of Jehovah in your husband and resident brats.

Beatrice Wairimu, 53, has been a house help since she was 22. She says it can be a lifetime job if one finds an employer who is respectful, pays well and values boundaries.  

Her 23 years as a mboch comes in handy for the employer with whom she has stayed for seven years since her baby was three months.

“She is like my daughter and her mother can leave her with me and fly out for weeks. She respects and trusts me, she does not quarrel and treats me like family. I also ensure the child is treated like a queen.”

 Her 23 years as a mboch comes in handy [Photo: Courtesy]

Beatrice is allowed to discipline the daughter when she makes mistakes when the mother is not around and “I also offer her advice when she needs it. I do not plan to leave this house because I want to see this child grow and even get married,” says Beatrice who has medical insurance and has received lessons on investments from her employer which is a different experience to when she started off at 22.

Though she has educated her children and bought family land from her job as a house help, Beatrice laments about cruel bosses like one woman in Kileleshwa who allowed her only one meal a day, didn’t permit her to sit on the sofa or dining area, forcing her to sit on the floor.

“Taking care of her was more work than her children, since I even washed her panties and endured threats, including telling me that, ‘Beatrice, when you die you will go to hell’!”

Beatrice adds that she woke up at 3am, slept at midnight after resting for only three hours “so when I got a new job, I decided to move.”

Life as a mboch at her age is different to when she was young. Shalom Munyiri, the founder of Ritro Group and a family life coach told The Nairobian that older house helps have some advantages, like “good morals and a good work ethic.

They also have experience raising children and might instinctively know what’s right for the child in terms of good manners and other social skills. This may however be affected by their literacy and exposure levels. If they are new to the city life, there can be a disconnect.”

 They also have experience raising children [Photo: Courtesy]

Shalom explains that the downside of aged mama mboch is the difficulty in issuing instructions owing to their advanced years, besides their being set in certain ways and often resist new methods of doing things.

“They have also worked long enough to know how to manipulate employers.”

Shalom advises that when looking for a mboch, one should pick from priority areas since “if it’s the children then get one who can manage the kids; if it’s the food, get a good cook; if it’s a clean house, look for a good housekeeper. Many fail by looking for one who is great at all three, which is very rare to find today.”

She adds: “Whatever the priority, character references are important. Training is not enough; you need to ascertain if they have integrity and values that matter to you. Many ask about availability, training or the wages, but experience is also key. Check who they have worked for, how long they worked for them, and the reasons for leaving. When choosing to hire one who has no experience, be prepared to train. Be ready for a little conflict and be gracious about some mistakes, as the two of you settle to know each other better.”

With all the challenges that come with house helps, Shalom advocates for them to be treated well as they need time off to rest, good food, sick offs and compassionate leave since “without them holding the fort, the employer’s life wouldn’t be as comfortable” and decide beforehand how long you want to stay with them.

“Having a house help frees you to be a parent, so it’s not an excuse to hand over the children to the house girl. All other work in the home can be delegated, except parenting,” concludes Shalom and “good parenting includes using days off to teach your children housekeeping skills.”

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