Monthly Archives: November 2015

Lifestyle

The simple life

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HOME shelter offers a ‘home’ to domestic workers that have run away from their employers. During a writing workshop the residents were asked to write about what ‘home’ means to them. Read Hilda’s contribution about her dreams for a simple life with her family below.

I am Hilda from Philippines. I would say that I am proud of my country. I lived in a province, in Luzon part. It was nice that each morning when I woke up, I could feel the cold, fresh wind. Life was so simple then, when my family was around me everything was fine, even though sometimes we worried about financial matters. I love the beach, the mountains, and above all I love the simplicity of everything.

In Singapore, I once lived with an Australian and Chinese family. They had a nice home with complete equipment inside. They were both working. I could say that they had almost everything except kids. They had a small garden where I spent half my time clearing and watering the plants. But of course I didn’t have the privilege to go out any time. The house was good, but the people living there were the problem. Without the right people, a house is not a home.

I would like to live in a place near the sea where I could see the sunset every day of my life. In a house with my own family, living a simple life. I would love to have a little garden in my back yard with different kinds of flowers, like orchids, and green plants. It is the simplicity that counts with me. I believe that we don’t need to be rich to have everything, but what I would like is only to have my own house, earned with my own hard work, and to live with my family because we just live here on Earth temporarily.

As the saying goes there’s no place like home, there is no other place where I can show myself, and be who I am. Home is like heaven for me. There I can express myself without humiliation. They won’t look down on me, they will understand me and most of all love me.

My dream home is like a simple, native made up of native products like bamboo and wood, but stable. Having a garden in the backyard bearing fruits and vegetables where my family will spend our time together harvesting and cooking and eating together. Cooking is my passion and I believe I can make my family happier.

 

HOME Academy

A GOAL TO ACHIEVE

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 by: Saturnina “Cute” De Los santos Rotelo (photo below: first row, third from left)

All migrants haves a goal, a dream, or a plan before they leave their loved ones and their beloved country. It’s hard, it’s painful, tears flow from their eyes. They make promises in lieu of their presence, especially to their children. I have been away from home 21 years- almost half of my life I’ve been working in Singapore.

I continue to work for I have a mission. My promise to my beloved father has already been fulfilled, yet I still doubt about going home. I have devoted my time to HOME for 8 years now, and finally the answer has come to me. Filipinos are very family-oriented; closeness and kindness are always there. Love and respect, pride and beliefs are what often pushes Filipinas to migrate and sacrifice their life, love and loneliness, which money can’t replace.

The I.L.O. (International Labor Organization), in partnership with Atikha (a Pilipino organization providing economic and social services to overseas Filipinos and their families in the Philippines) did research to find out why many migrants return to their county a failure and not with innovation. I attended a thorough training by Athika on how to help the migrants, by helping them understand financial matters, and teach them how go back to their home country successfully.

Devoting my Sundays off to training and educating other migrants makes me happy. My parents sent me to a private university, but I still ended up here in Singapore as a Domestic Worker. I have no regrets, but I did miss out on a lot of things in my life. I have learned a lot myself interacting with my students. Now the 3rd batch of students is almost done, memories linger on how very thankful he students are for receiving this course in Financial Literacy. Their testimonies, written or oral, make me cry as they always say that I changed their lives and have made them realize how important it is to understand how to spend your money between the needs and wants, and that savings are important in preparing for all the hazards of life. As the course continued they realized also that by keeping track of their expenses, they can understand why they have lots of debts. Many families of migrants depend on them fully, all money made abroad is sent back, and the migrants go home for good without any money. In our Financial Education course you learn that you have to to help educate your family, and set an honest example how to manage your hard to earned money.

Every migrant has a goal, or shall I say a dream, to achieve. By planning finances carefully, together with your family, and using SMART ways, everything is achievable. Many migrants end up with a broken family because of the prolonged separation, so we are trying to slowly stop this practice. So I’m hoping that through this course migrants, especially women, will realize that leaving the country and living away from their husband and children is not the answer for all their dreams. Our journey continues, and I hope that I.L.O. will discover more to protect the worlds migrants, especially women.