Myrtle Witbooi invested over fifty years in the struggle for domestic worker rights around the world. Just before her 75th, birthday, she was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer, which has compromised her voice. A day after this news, she proclaimed, "cancer is not going to fetch me, I'm going to fight it!" In South Africa, this requires extensive and costly private medical care. Our hope is to fund this treatment so that Myrtle can realize her dream to extend her time with her family and arrange a full leadership transition from the two organizations she leads--the national South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union and the International Domestic Workers Federation.

This moment makes Myrtle's 2011 statement at the United Nations even more concrete:

"If anyone would have told me 45 years ago today, that I would be here, I would not have believed them. But I will continue fighting for domestic workers rights every day of my life, as I remember those early days that led me to this particular struggle that has now made its place in world history."

Your support is a model of the lifelong support and solidarity Myrtle has given to thousands of women workers throughout her life. Every investment is incredibly impactful in this moment. All contributions will go directly to Myrtle's medical costs and support for her wishes to assure the continuation of her lifelong investment in the organizational capacity to support domestic workers worldwide.