The tea-lady

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In the year 2002, I conducted a training workshop to a group of employees of a merchant bank in Kuala Lumpur, attended by the non-executives of the bank, comprising of drivers, clerks, despatch boys and also tea-ladies. And one of the tea-ladies was Khatijah.

She sat quietly in the workshop and participated when required but otherwise quiet.

After the workshop I had no further contact with her until one day I met her boss.

It happened about 3 months after the workshop, when I was conducting another workshop when I bumped into Puan J, who during that time was an Assistant General Manager of the bank and was on the same floor that Khatijah was serving as a tea-lady.

Puan J said to me, "Rutz, what did you do to my staff?"
"Huh?" I was taken by surprise, "which staff, who?" I stumbled not knowing who she was refering to.

"Khatijah, the tea-lady," she replied.

"What did I do?" I responded.

The Puan J related to me one of the most amazing story....

After Khatijah came back from the workshop, something changed in her or maybe what changed was maybe she became more determined to change her life.

Almost everyone in the bank, with the exception of a few probably, were using computers for their work. Khatijah probably would need to do much of her work on certain designated hours in the day and then probably she was very much free in between. What happened was after she had completed her morning tasks, she went over to some of the officers on the floor to ask whether she can help to type their letters or documents.

Defintely not, how can a tea-lady be doing what the officers are doing, more so how can one expect a tea-lady to use a personal computer. Hence her request to help was pretty much denied.

She went around the floor again the next day, and the next day and the next day. Rejected again and again and again. By this time tongues would be wagging about a tea-lady wanting to assist the officers on the floor, and just imagine the kind of talking people would have about her and what more of the other tea-ladies.

One day she enrolled into a Microsoft Office workshop offered to the non-executives. What would you be thinking if you were the officer who was registering the enrolment? "Tea-lady? Microsoft office?" you might think, some how tea-ladies and Microsoft Office just don't blend too well. But, she was enrolled.

So off she went for the workshop. Upon completion of the workhshop she went again to the officers. And again she was denied. How many of us had been using the software and yet not know how everything worked? A tea-lady? Some how tea-ladies and Microsoft Office don't blend well.

Tongues continue to wag.

She then one day applied for a computer loan. What if you were the loan application processing officer, what would you then be thinking upon receving her application? Tea-lady and personal computers don't seem to blend well either. "Maybe its for her children," you might think. The more mischievious ones would probably think that she's trying to make a fast buck and sell the computer.

She got her computer and took some of the discarded pieces of paper from the rubbish bins, took them home and began to practice.

She again went around the office to offer her help. No likely takers, until probably someone got fed up with her and actually accepted her offer of help, even though to just prove that she cannot and not able to type and use the word processing application....

So Puan J finally said to me, "Do you know what she is doing today? She's still a tea-lady but she also helps with the typing.

The story did not end there. In late 2007/early 2008, I cannot fully recall the exact date, I met Puan J again and we spoke and she finally ask me, "Do you still remember Khatijah?"

"Yes, the tea-lady." I responded. I won't want to be caught twice not remembering Khatijah.

"Do you know what Khatijah is today?" she asked.

"Senior tea-lady," spoke my mind. But "No I don't," came out of my mouth.

"Do you know that she is an officer already in the bank?"

Khatijah....
I wonder why not us?

Regards.
http://pakpandir2020.blogspot.com