Planning, preparation, Zoom meetings… We all are looking forward to this, it’s going to be a big celebration!

The past 2 years have been really tough on us with this Covid-19 but it’s great to see the normalcy return. 

In that spirit, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) decided to celebrate International Migrants Day (IMD), in full swing! I am excited, finally!

On 11 December 2022 at Khalsa Association, it was celebration time but at the same time, it was a little different. Why? Our dearest founder, Sister Bridget Tan who showed love, care, understanding ,who fought for us migrants, is no longer celebrating with us. Giving respect in her memory , for all the things she has done for the migrants community is the very first thing we do to start the celebration.  I know, she is with us, she loves and enjoys celebration, get together that involves the migrants community. Marina, one of the HOME volunteers from the HOME Nightingales family, read a tribute, which gave us a glimpse of Sister Bridget’s journey in and with migrants community. We miss her dearly,  may her soul rest in peace. 

Who would have thought that we all are gathered this day celebrating.

Bhing, a HOME volunteer from Helpdesk and Poobalan, an emcee, are the hosts.

Bhing shares the International Labor Organization declaration for us migrants to know our rights, that us should be  in a safe and healthy working environment. After this JoAnn (yours truly), a HOME volunteer from MyVoice read her poem themed Resilience which is just right to describe  migrants. While reading the poem, I noticed the audience were quietly listening and I told myself, I hope this shows that they like my poem. After reading and going back to my table, some approached me saying they love my poem that it really describes how our life is as migrants. That’s heart warming. 

Then the singing and dancing follow from the respective families of HOME. The members are so talented, this proves that we are not only expert in doing household chores, we have talents also that we can be proud off, that we can show off.

A dance from HOME Nightingale family grace the floor. They look so cool in their cowboy outfit.

Ayu from Kartini family surprised the audience, she walked up in the stage looking a bit shy but when she started singing, ohhh the Mariah Carrey of HOME !

Of course HOME Roses won’t skip the show, they always bring out the feel of Christmas in their performance. What a joy to hear Christmas song today and some of the audience did a train dance as well.

The song from the Shelter girls touched my heart. They sang their heart out too. These girls are having hard time, without work, without money, they are fighting for their rights but here they are rendering a beautiful song. May they get what they deserve,  a fair trial and judgment. 

We come to the highlight of the celebration.  Presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to HOME Volunteers above 8 years. Yes, I am one of them! How time flies, seems like only yesterday that I started volunteering. There’s so many to be thankful for, me, being a volunteer. My journey with HOME is noteworthy and I hope more to come.

We won’t stop here, there’s more for us to watch.

Presenting 50 Contestants in Culture Dress Showcase. These contestants choose which country , which culture or tribe they gonna represent. And guess what, I am here again flaunting a modern Filipiniana gown. Win or lose,  agh it doesn’t matter to me. I want only to show that we have a beautiful, traditional gown.

 To enjoy more of the celebration,  a table lucky draw in which the table number is to be called. The winners received cash prize.

 A dance from Suara Kita is up next, a real danceable one and the audience are shaking and waving with the tune. Of course, a community dance is a must and is lead by Nightingale HOME family. All are required to stand on their feet. The star dancers first showed step by step in counting before playing the music. It’s a real fun!

A caroling from HOME Academy is always present. Christmas spirit is in the air. The audience sing and dance along with the beat of the song. 

Lots of prizes, goodie bags, give aways are distributed to the migrants and to everyone who came and celebrate with us. A big thank you to our sponsors. 

Sister Sisi Sukiato, HOME Academy Director gives her thank you speech to one and all. And she introduced also the Photography club of HOME in collaboration with Holdinghands studio founded by Brother Chin Hock. We encourage fellow migrants who are enthusiast in taking photos to join our club. We have monthly photo contest with different theme and the winners receive a digital certificate and a gift sponsored by HOME. At the moment, we are having the Limited Edition project in which the trainers give us the places of interests in Singapore where we can take photos. Members can submit 5 of their best photos and the best 1 will be selected and is going to be printed in the coasters. It is  Coasters with a Cause. Will my photo be selected? Let’s wait and see. Not to forget, HOME photography club is turning 1 year on the 26th of December and we have 110 members already ! We are growing!

In between of the celebration program, there’s singing and dancing and everybody joined in. The migrant brothers showed their moves as well led by Poobalan. Swaying, waving, clapping, jumping on their feet! Ohhh what a wonderful International Migrants Day it is !

A toast for HOME, may it prosper more and continue to be the shelter of every migrants in need of help and assistance. Long live!

Time for the HOME staffs to show what they got in singing and dancing. They all are in the stage having their time but we migrants won’t miss this chance joining them. So up we go in front, some stayed where they are and did our moves and sang with them. This looks like a variety show already and all of us are enjoying, we all are in the mood !

Thank you HOME. Thank you in looking after us migrants. 

I remind myself of my strength often. There were times when I have had to hold on for dear life while working as a domestic worker in Singapore. But honestly, the true test has always been deciding if I should still stay with an employer or leave.

As a domestic worker, I only asked for a clear record. My patience wore thin when I realized that my working situation was against the law. 

I was working in two houses and I was the eighth member of the household. Carrying this heavy workload was tough. The living room was where I laid my tired body each night. During the wee hours, I would hear footsteps to the toilet as they passed by me. Sometimes, they will turn on the television and ask me to turn my body against it. The CCTV in the house never turns off, causing me to feel uneasy during my rest.

I knew for sure from the very first day that I should only be working at the address listed in my Work Permit, but I did not dare to report it. I was bothered by the thought of waiting out a case if I complained, so I remained quiet for almost four years. But there came a time when I could no longer tolerate the situation. I needed to leave. Soon, it was the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. I had to choose between repatriation or renewing my contract. 

But God is amazing. He works in ways we cannot see. I asked a lot of people for advice. They were concerned for me. It was a while ago when I met one of HOME’s help desk volunteers. When I approached her, she told me to stand firm and fight for my rights. I finally found the courage to lodge a complaint, though the process was not easy.

I am very thankful for the sympathy shown to me, and the fair judgement made in my case. For now, I am finally free from my illegal deployment and found a new employer. I feel much better because I am valued as a domestic worker, and a human being. I now have a private space to rest.

It is not easy working as a migrant domestic worker. We face many difficulties but a piece of advice I have for my fellow workers is, be strong and courageous. Remember, you are not alone. There are a lot of people who care, who are willing to listen and offer helpful advice. Never lose hope and above all else, have faith in God for He has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us. 

Lene

Photo is taken from CNA and used for illustration purposes only.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stripped many migrant domestic workers of employment options, forcing them to choose between abusive work environments and the risk of being sent home.  As the pandemic worsened and Singapore’s borders closed, the number of new domestic workers allowed into the country dwindled. Employers began rejecting transfer requests, confining workers to their homes and asking them to work overtime. At the same time, faced with the uncertainty of obtaining a transfer, many workers looking to leave abusive environments decided to extend their contracts or remain with their employers.  In fact, the number of employees requesting to transfer shrank by 80 percent during the pandemic. Many more domestic workers that I spoke to had to take on an increased workload, by working on their rest day with no compensation. 

I spoke to several domestic workers to learn more about the agonizing decisions they were forced to make during the past two years. 

For many women, the risks of staying in abusive jobs were pit against the uncertainties of transferring. One woman I spoke to had been patiently waiting to leave a difficult employer after her contract was finished, to avoid damaging her employment record. But when her contract finally ended, the pandemic was at its peak and she grew scared of not having her transfer approved or finding a better family to work for. “I have to stay, to renew my contract,”’ she said. Her family depended on her. 

She prayed her employers would treat her better. Instead, the abuse worsened.  One night, six months into her new contract, she decided she had enough and asked to be let go. Her relief after leaving the employers was quickly replaced with anxiety about her future. Luckily, after a week of interviews, she signed with a new employer who she describes as considerate and understanding. She found peace and happiness there. 

Many others described heightened levels of abuse during the pandemic. One worker recounted with tears in her eyes how she lost 8kg and became suicidal after working for an elderly woman whose family became increasingly abusive, forbidding her from eating food in the fridge and monitoring her with CCTV cameras. “I feel so useless and think so little of myself because of the way I’m treated. It’s as if I’m not a human being, like them,” she said. She worried the process of transferring during the pandemic would be too difficult, but ultimately decided to look for another employer. She is now working for a single father who treats her with kindness and respect. There is no more yelling, no more verbal abuse and she gained back the weight she lost, and even a little extra. 

Other women suffered the aftershocks of disruptions in their employers’ lives. One migrant domestic worker I spoke to was given one month to find a new family after her employers found their bank accounts squeezed by the pandemic. “We’re sorry, we have to let you go,” they told her. “Things are not going well for us.”  She scrambled to interview with different families, and get her paperwork to the Ministry of Manpower, but her employment request was denied three times before it was approved. The turbulence caused her tremendous anxiety, but she finally found a great family to work for. 

I hear the despair and agony that these workers went through, but I am also inspired to see their courage in the face of the unknown. In the face of tremendous difficulty, they discovered their voices and sought out better situations for themselves and ultimately, their loved ones. I tell them to keep the faith and to not give up hope.

Jo Ann A. Dumlao
HOME volunteer and MyVoice contributor

Photo is taken from Channel NewsAsia and used for illustration purposes only.