•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

The universally accepted definition of an au pair is a young person who goes abroad to work and live with a host family — usually doing light domestic chores or baby-sitting — so they can immerse themselves in that country’s culture and language. They may get paid for the work that they do depending on the arrangement with the families and the laws of the particular country.

The French term originally meant “on par” or “equal to,” indicating that the individuals are to be considered as a temporary family member and not as domestic servants.

In Indonesia, some enterprising young people have taken this opportunity to expand their horizons. Visna, 26, finished her archaeology degree from the University of Indonesia in 2007. She then spent 18 months as an au pair in Belgium.

“Au pair is a French word for ‘pairing,’ ” Visna said. “It’s a term to refer to helpers who look after children.”

She added that in the United States, being an au pair may also mean being a nanny. “But being a nanny is a full-time job, while being an au pair is part-time,” she said.

The University of Indonesia’s faculty, Basa Hutangalung, who used to facilitate the placement of au pairs abroad, wholeheartedly supports the practice. He said that unlike the common perception in Indonesia that baby-sitting was only for the uneducated, being an au pair was actually a good stepping-stone for young people in getting an overseas education.

Visna said that in Europe, those who are eligible to work as au pairs are classified as students or people 26 years old or under. They work 20 hours a week and receive allowances and a private room at the home of the host family.

That is exactly what Visna did in Belgium, where she juggled her chores with studies, traveling and even dating. She was particularly excited about having the chance to travel. She only spent Rp 2 million ($220) of her own money, in addition to what she earned as an au pair, to see some of Europe’s more popular sites.

She first found out about au pair programs through an employment agency in 2008. She paid about Rp 8 million to register with the agency, but later found out she had been duped.

“It turned out that I could have just registered on various Web sites for free,” Visna said.

Visna said that her stint as an au pair was an enriching educational and cultural experience. She would get up at 6:30 a.m., sometimes even earlier during the summer, to get the kids ready for school or other activities. She was responsible for three children, aged 2, 5 and 8. Then she would go to school herself. The host family, the Lebrocquys, had her enrol at both a language school to learn French and a tourism school.

“My host family was pretty flexible about me adjusting my school and work hours,” Visna said. “That’s what’s great about working as an au pair. It’s only a part-time job, so you get the chance to do other things.”

Visna said she had learned from her host family’s different approach to child-rearing. “They have what they call a punishment room, so when the kids act up, they usually send them there,” she said.

At first, she didn’t have the heart to send the children to the room. “In [Indonesia], it is not common for parents to be firm with their children,” Visna said.

“Usually, when their children sulk, parents persuade them to stop crying or sulking.”

After a discussion with her host family, however, she understood that this was their way of disciplining their children.

Throughout her stay, Visna felt like she was part of the family. “I would help clear the dining table, water the plants or do the dishes,” she said, “because even after working hours were over, I got bored sometimes, so I thought, why not help the host family?”

Every month, Visna was given an allowance equivalent to Rp 6 million. In the beginning, she initially planned to do some light traveling in order to save part of her salary. But the temptation was too great to resist.

“When I went home to Indonesia, I was not able to bring any money back with me. But it’s OK. The traveling was worth it,” she said.

Nelda Afriany, 31, has also worked as an au pair in Europe. She has worked in London, Trondheim in Norway and Swansea in Wales. “I’d always wanted to live in Europe,” Nelda said.

Unlike Visna, Nelda’s main responsibility as an au pair was assisting the disabled. She explained that being an au pair was different from Indonesian domestic workers. “Even though being an au pair doesn’t really require you to be very smart, you have to be able to speak good English and have good social skills,” she said.

Nelda said that applying to work as an au pair in Europe was easy. She just had to fill an online application form. The organization then sent her a letter that she used to apply for a visa.

She admitted, though, that being an au pair was not always easy. “The challenge lies in interacting with people from different countries and other backgrounds,” she said.

The best thing about working as an au pair in Western countries, aside from the chance to travel, was the clear-cut definition of her work hours and receiving her payments on time. “My work schedule was always clear. If it was time to go home, I could always go, no matter what,” she said.

But she pointed out that working abroad was not always as good as people in Indonesia often thought.

“Somehow, you always miss home and that was the reason I chose to come back.”

Young Indonesians, however, have mixed opinions about being an au pair. Rika, 21, a student at Bina Nusantara University, thinks that if people want to go overseas to learn, then it is better to apply for a scholarship.

“For me, the fact that it is harder to get [a scholarship] is what makes it prestigious,” she said.

Nana, 22, a University of Indonesia student, is not against working as an au pair per se. However, she’s not inclined to be one because she says she is not good with children.

“If it were a personal assistant, maybe I would do it,” she said.

For Sharon, 24, a student at the Petra Christian University in Surabaya, the au pair arrangement seems like a good deal. She said that she would not be ashamed to do it. “I like baby-sitting,” she said. “Being a nanny in a foreign country isn’t the same as being a nanny in Indonesia. And I could also go to school on an exchange program.”

Visna said that some of her friends had criticized her for working as an au pair.

“They asked why someone like me, a fresh graduate from a reputable university, would want to baby-sit children,” she said. “And then I ask them: ‘How much do you earn? What experiences have you had?’ Most of them only earn Rp 2 million, Rp 3 million tops.”

Now that Visna is back home in Indonesia, she is eager to find more people who are willing to work as au pairs. Visna believes the practice presents a good opportunity for young people who want both money and experience, especially given the fact that they would be paid Western-standard allowances and also get to study for free.

“It’s definitely better than working as domestic workers,” she said.

“The way I see it, I’m lucky to have been able to work as an au pair. I’ve had the chance to travel while my friends who look down at the job haven’t.”