Wah Jie along the corridor outside her flat

Wah Jie is a 91-year-old majie who lives alone in a one-room rental flat in Chinatown, which is home to those like her who had arrived in Singapore from the Guangdong province of southern China between the 1930s and 1970s to seek work as domestic servants. One of the last remaining majies of her generation, Wah Jie continues to work every day as she collects used or discarded items to sell, much of which she places along the corridor outside her flat; her face is full of freckles from years under the sun. This photograph is part of a series by Singaporean photographer Charmaine Poh that documents the experiences of the majies living out their twilight years in Singapore.

See related items

Wah Jie outside her home

Wah Jie entering her flat

Close up of Wah Jie

Side profile of Wah Jie