We often say, “It takes a village to raise a child,” but what happens when the village consists of women who are barely getting by themselves?

I’m talking about women who care for other people’s children – nannies and domestic workers who often step in and act as mothers when the real ones are away.

These women raise babies, change nappies, do homework, cook, clean and provide emotional support, yet many of them are paid next to nothing.

Let’s be honest, in many Namibian households, the woman who stays in your house to care for your children is not just “the helper”. She becomes like a second mother.

She is there when the child wakes up.

She is there when they fall and hurt themselves.

Sometimes, she is even the first person they run to because she has been more present than anyone else.

And what does she get in return?

A monthly salary that would not even cover a decent grocery basket. Some people think that “at least” they provide food and shelter, as if that compensates for the long hours, emotional labor and physical exhaustion.

But this is not charity.

It is a job – full-time, demanding and truly important.

It is about time we started treating it that way.

Looking after children is not just physical work. There is a lot of emotional work that goes into it as well.

Being a nanny or domestic worker, you must be patient, nurturing, alert, and, in many cases, dependable every single day. The child gets sick. You are the one pacing up and down. They throw tantrums.

You handle it. They cry for their parents.

You are the one who must comfort them.

This kind of emotional investment is not small, yet it is often taken for granted. Even worse, some employers feel entitled to total control over women’s time. Just because she lives in your house doesn’t mean she should not have days off, private time or her own life. Many of these women have their own children, whom they rarely see because they are busy raising yours. Namibia has laws to protect domestic workers, including minimum wage rules.

According to the labour ministry, the minimum wage for domestic workers is about N$1 920 per month, which includes food and housing (N$12.00 per hour).

But let us be honest: how many people are paying that?

Even if they are, is that enough to get by?

Even worse, many of these arrangements are informal, and there is often no written contract, no leave days, no pension, and no benefits.

The law is only as effective as its enforcement, and too many women suffer in silence because they don’t want to “seem ungrateful” or “cause trouble”.

We cannot keep calling ourselves a caring society when the people who care are being exploited.

It is time we started respecting childminding and domestic work for what it truly is: essential labour that deserves dignity and fair compensation.

We need stronger regulations, yes, but we also need a change in mindset. Employers must stop viewing nannies as “part of the furniture” or “someone helping out”. They are workers – professionals. People with lives, dreams and families of their own. At the very least, we should offer proper contracts, days off, and salaries that reflect the burden of the work.

We should check in with our conscience: would you accept that treatment for your own daughter?

It is simple.

If she is mothering your child, she deserves more than peanuts.

*Frieda Mukufa’s lifestyle section in the New Era concentrates on women-related issues and parenting. She also specialises in editing research proposals, proofreading and content creation. – etuholefrieda@ gmail.com