While housegirls have taken over most homes – as far as chores are concerned that is – the woman of the house has learnt to become very choosy.
And while a majority of city women look for housegirls who are humble, motherly, hard working, reserved and not gossipy loud mouths, few will settle for one with killer looks.
In fact, when they are searching for a house help, or mama nguo, the overriding qualification always seems to be the most average, earthiest and homeliest girl or woman you can come across. Clearly, there is no room for a hot ‘Miss Mboch.’
A very good looking housegirl is deemed to be a threat to the status quo.
She can destabilise a young or even old marriage. So, the woman of the house has to weed out housegirls with noticeable hips, short skirts, long hair, dimples, shapely legs or sexy diastema. Very ‘yellow yellow’ housegirls are out of the question.
We spoke to women in the city to find out why they have a beef with cute housegirls.
Seducing hubby
Since men are considered to be visual beings, very few women can trust a housegirl who swings her hips and flashes seductive smiles around their men, let a lone one who sits ovyo ovyo.
Nancy Onyango, a journalist with one of the leading media houses says that, “I’m all about women looking good, but some of them overdo it with ill intentions.” She recalls how one of her housegirls seemed bent on taking over her home.
“When I first employed her, she was very naïve and wore loose-fitting clothes. But a few months later, she had changed to tight outfits and even bleached her skin. Every time my husband was in the living room, she would pass in front of him, walking suggestively and pretending to be cleaning.
I came up with an excuse and fired her immediately,” explains Nancy, who now prefers older women who have no time or ambitions for sexual favours.