About Us

Domestic Helpers Organization (DHO) is now Informal Workers Organisation (IWO) a women-led organization founded in 2015 by Madam Chelcy Alma Aminata Heroe but formerly launched in July 2017.

Domestic Helpers Organization (DHO) is now Informal Workers Organisation (IWO) a women-led organization founded in 2015 by Madam Chelcy Alma Aminata Heroe but formerly launched in July 2017.

The founder was raised by her mother through informal work as domestic worker and as a result experienced abuses but was unable to seek redress. She was deeply concerned about the poor quality of services rendered by informal workers (Domestic workers) on one hand and equally poor working conditions of the workers on the other. In order to address the situation Madam Heroe decided to set up and registered an Organization aimed at strengthening the capacity of persons to be able to deliver efficient and quality services and at the same time possess the ability to negotiate for improved wages and working conditions.

Domestic Helpers Organization is a registered Local Non-Governmental Organization working to promote the rights dignity and welfare of informal workers especially national and migrant domestic workers through advocacy and capacity building to enhance their livelihood and employability.

DHO interventions focus on addressing labour injustice issues relating to Employment within informal sector for vulnerable youth and women in Sierra Leone. Our trainings are also to provide a cadre of informal workers (domestic workers) in order to create a pool of professionals available to work for individuals and institutions that desire quality and efficient services.

Over the years the apparent marginalization and exclusion of informal workers in policy and decision-making process that affects their lives has attracted DHO’s attention. As a result DHO has been engaged in mainstream advocacy for these deprived groups to increase demand for recognition and inclusion from duty bearers.

Due to pile of complaints received by DHO from informal workers in general the Board Management and staff decided to rebrand DHO to Informal Workers Organisation (IWO) in January 2021.

+23278483573 | +23234592801 OR info@informalworkers.org

Success Story from a woman in the male-dominted trades

  • Home
  • Success Story from a woman in the male-dominted trades
image

Success Story from a woman in the male-dominted trades

Bintu Kebbie a 33 years Blacksmith and wielder resides at 144 Pandemba Road- Freetown with two children. “I was inspired by my father who was a blacksmith and wielder and I have to learn from him after school.”  I write to the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate and after which I choose blacksmith and wielding as a career in which I am deeply proud of myself.

 

I am proud with my job because I have impacted so many young people through apprenticeship and most of them have become financially independent. I can boast of providing for myself and my family and have purchased a plot of land.

 

She encouraged her colleague women who are not into any skills to try as much as they could to identify one in order to become financially independent to have a meaningful livelihood and empower themselves.

She confesses that challenges are bound to occur in every skills but overcoming them makes an individual become professional. “I am faced with gender injustice in my wielding shop as the only female amongst many men even when I am the boss. We are challenged with injuries inadequate wielding tools and the wielding shop is not standard as compare to others.