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. 

As a member of and volunteer at HOME, I am always open to whatever programme is offered to migrant domestic workers (MDW). So when I received a message that a professional journalist wanted to hold a writing workshop for us, without hesitation, I said, “Yes!”

I love and enjoy writing but I want to learn more. I want to know what writing is really all about. What are the different forms of writing? Are there any rules to follow? I knew I would be learning more from this workshop, so I looked forward to it.

The instructor was Marina Lopes, a Brazilian American journalist currently based in Singapore. She was a reporter based in Brazil for The Washington Post, as well as Reuters in Mozambique, New York and Washington. She also produced TV segments for PBS and BBC.

Excited, I invited participants for the workshop. Many were willing to join but sadly we had to limit the group size. There were 25 participants in all. The workshop started on March 2 and ended on May 29. Every Wednesday, we would meet on Zoom at night after we had completed the housework for our employers.

Ms Lopes had prepared a syllabus for the workshop. Over the weeks, she instilled in us the basics of writing, from emails and resumes to social media and creative writing. She had set expectations and goals for the course as well. It was to teach participants how to write clearly, concisely and with confidence whether it was professional or personal work. All of us were expected to participate in the class, read the homework assignments, ask questions and share our writing if we were comfortable with it. 

As one of the participants, I can say that we have learned a lot and enjoyed the class. The interactions, the sharing of our reflections… wow. Who would have remembered that we are all MDWs in that class?

On our last day of class, we gathered in person. I finally met my classmates and our amazing trainer. Ms Sisi Sukiato, HOME Academy’s Director, dropped by to greet everyone as well.

This was the best session of the workshop. It was a mind boggling time as we were tasked to write one-liners to a few paragraphs of poetry on the spot. But it was fun nevertheless. We did not know whether we could do it, until we read what we had written! It was challenging because if ideas did not flow at that time, you ended up staring at the ceiling or into blank space. 

Let me share with you some of our on-the-spot writing. We wrote about rain, getting lost, and about a person who has left us.

Why does everybody love the rain?
I hate rain, 
I can't play, it is so muddy!
Here, I am, lonely, nah!
Just for today.

- Juddy

On my way to meet love
Run in circles, sweating
Maze lost its beauty, I left.

- Lora Jane

Description of my heart, feel pain
When you left me.

Remember your struggle 
Patiently you teach me, even I can't 
But I believe, I can make you proud.
Now you will leave, leaving a million meanings
You said goodbye that I never wanted
I can only pray that you will always be happy.

Miss you a lot.

- Fatma, My Mentor

 Astray who knows 
 One day, every step of the way
 I'll find the safest place,
 It's in your embrace 
 The beautiful soul of mine.

- Jovi

It's been 5 years dad
But still I can feel
The loneliness and pain inside.
If I could only turn back time
Would hug and hold your tired arms.
How can I overcome my regrets, dad?
The mistakes I made when you were alive
I really wish that even in my dreams 
I can hear your voice
And hug you tight.

I'm sorry Dad!

- Amy, Longing for Dad

Hey Jo, why those eyes
You look sad, in bewilderment, 
Look up, the stars are shining on you!

- Jo Ann

For these pieces, we were given up to five minutes. I liked the challenge! See, we could do it. Hooray to all of us!

Ms Lopes said that we will have a part two of this writing workshop. I can’t wait for it. If you are a MDW, join us!

Here’s what the rest of my classmates had to say.

“Yes to part two! I’ve learned a lot. The lesson is very clear and precise and her feedback was very constructive. She encourages us to do better in our writing. I’d love to have more lessons with her.”

Jhing Jhing

“Our first writing workshop was really helpful. The 10 sessions which covered different topics taught us different writing techniques. From the proper way to write an email to effective ways of writing a narrative, Ms Marina was so patient in answering our questions, carefully checking our homework and replying to them.”

Bhing Navato

“The workshop went beyond my expectations. I learned a lot and appreciated how kind Ms Marina was. She was approachable and had tons of patience in teaching us even when one missed a class.”

Julie

“The workshop was very informative especially on writing emails and resumes. I look forward to the next class.”

Kate

Jo Ann A. Dumlao

My eyes watered. My hands were shaking. I felt butterflies in my stomach. You were seated on the plastic chair, head bowed toward the ground and rubbing the palm of your hand on your lap. As I put my last piece of clothing in my bag and closed it, you looked up. Our eyes met, but neither one of us utter a word. I am not sure how I feel leaving you, mother, brother, and my three year old daughter. 

You hugged me, so tightly that my muscles felt a pinch. You combed my hair with your fingertips and rubbed my back saying, “Be careful, my child. I love you.” I let go, grabbed my bag and walked away without saying anything to you. I stepped into the minivan that will take me to the airport. With a heavy heart, I watched you standing there waving as tears fell from your cheeks. I imagined my family without me as the driver took off. 

My heart was pounding so hard, I thought my chest would burst. In an air-conditioned airport, perspiration dripped down my spine, my forehead, my nose, my lips. Reality was kicking in. I was leaving my home country, my family, my friends, my culture, for a different life. A brighter future. 

It is a beautiful city. Big, tall buildings. Clean streets. At night, you feel safe walking outside by yourself as the roads are lit. As far as I know, it is the safest place I have ever been to. Singapore is a place where dreams can come true.

After three years of being away, homesickness was not an issue. I was able to talk to my parents, my brother, and my daughter weekly.

It was a Sunday night. Something was off. At a restaurant where I was having dinner, I kept seeing my father’s image whenever I turned to look at the waiter. I remember his brown eyes staring at me and smiling, nodding as if he was saying, “Hello, my child.” His hair combed back. His wrinkles and gray hair. My heart was happy then, seeing my father’s face on someone else’s. But whenever I blinked, my father’s face faded. I brushed it off as my imagination.

At three that night, my phone rang. I was startled. I picked up my phone as I rubbed the sleep off my eyes. It was my mother, her voice lower and hoarser than usual. She shouted, “You need to come home now!” 

I asked why.

She simply repeated, “Come home now.” 

Angry and frustrated, I asked again. “Tell me why.” 

“It’s Papa. He was in an accident. You need to come home now.” 

She started crying. 

I was confused. “What happened to Papa?!” 

I was getting emotional now. 

“Papa is gone. You need to come home now!”  

I started crying. Tears streamed down my face as my nose dripped. I held my phone to my ear even though I had hung up. I kicked my covers and myself. Finally letting the phone go, I grabbed my pillow. I buried my face in it and sobbed for a long time. Before I knew it, my alarm clock started ringing.

I rose from my bed and washed off the tears from my face. I tried to pretend that everything was fine, but I could not help my tears from flowing. My employer approached me and asked me what had happened. I told her about my father and said, “I want to go home.”

Never would I have thought that I would return home without Papa to greet me. I will no longer hear his stories about my childhood. His hands will not be there for me to hold anymore.

My Papa is in a casket, lying peacefully while the rest of my family mourns for him.

I ask myself, “Why my Papa? Why so soon? Was it a punishment for the mistakes I have made in the past? Why? Why? Why? What is going to happen to my family? How is mother going to get through this without me by her side?”

The biggest question is, what am I going to do now that I do not have him around anymore?

Mary Grace Borjal

I was heading to the baggage carousel when I glanced at the waiting area on my right side. My heart jumped when I saw my parents waving. I stopped at belt 26 to wait for my luggage. While waiting, I kept staring at them. I waved once in a while. My excitement turned me into impatience. “Why is this carousel so slow? It’s wasting my time. It’s been six years!” This was my very first vacation home since I started working as a migrant domestic worker.

I remember vividly how she stared at me. She was a skinny little girl, wearing a pink floral dress. Out of the blue, she asked me, “Are you my mama?” I was taken aback. As I looked at her, tears flowed down my cheeks. I realized she had not seen me for six years. I left her when she was two years old.

“Yes, I am.” I tried to say with a smile.

“You’re beautiful.” She said with excitement on her face.

This was an unforgettable conversation with her 21 years ago. She is now 28, but I am still working in Singapore.

I have three children. Airra is my second child and my only daughter. One night, on one of my vacations home, she came to my bed where I was lying and laid down on my lap.

“Ma, can you help me find an employer in Singapore?”

I was stunned.

“No!” My answer was firm. 

“Why?” She asked.

“Seriously? Don’t be a second me! Don’t follow my footsteps. Look at your children. They’re almost the same age as when I left you and your brothers. It was because your father didn’t fulfil his responsibilities. But your life is different from mine.”

She stared at her three children. They were all sound asleep. Her husband was on his way home from work.

I continued, “You had a second chance in relationships. You have met the right man. He is a very responsible husband and father to your children. They need you here. Don’t leave them. Don’t let them experience the life that you had when you were growing up. Do you understand?”      

She did not say a word after that. As the night wore on, she fell asleep on my lap. I gazed at her with love. She is still my little daughter, no matter how old she is.

“I will not let you be a second me.”  I whispered to her.

Bhing Navato

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.

By Miriam Escander

If ever there was a holiday that deserves to be commercialized, it’s Halloween. It comes second only to Christmas and kids and adults can both enjoy it. I am especially attentive to Halloween, because it happens that I was born on Halloween. So for me it has always been a special occasion.

In many countries, Halloween is celebrated on October 31^st, but in the Philippines, due to a strong Catholic tradition, we celebrate it on the first two days of November. November 1^st is All Saints Day (Araw ng mga Santo) and November 2^nd is All Souls Day (Araw ng mga Patay). We spend these two days remembering our dead loved ones and you will find most of us at the cemetery or a memorial park. We don’t celebrate these days with tricks and treats. When we visit the cemetery we bring candles with different designs, different colours and amazing smells, as well as nice and beautifully arranged flowers.

When you go and live in a foreign country, you might feel amazed at how a favourite holiday is celebrated there, how different. That is what I have experienced here in Singapore. Halloween as is celebrated here started in Britain and other parts of Northern Europe as part of the ancient Celtic Religion. I’ve been working here for 12 years yet only last year experienced my first Halloween celebration with my friends. It was a lot of fun and vey exciting, though I did have some difficulty in saying NO to dressing up and putting on Halloween make-up. That’s the thrill and highlight of having a Halloween party.

 

Here in Singapore, a few weeks before, you can already sense that Halloween is just around the corner. Shopping malls display Halloween stuff. Adults, teens and especially kids are getting more excited every single day. Take for example the 4 year old boy I look after. The whole family was invited by a friend to attend their Halloween party. They started planning their costumes and he was excitedly counting the remaining days left before the big day. Every morning he would tell me “Miriam, 5 more days more to go before Halloween!”

He said that every day until the big event. That morning, when I was making coffee for myself, I asked him, “How many days left  before he Halloween?”

He showed me his clenched fist and said “ZERO”

I could not stop myself from laughing. The excitement on his face made him look even more adorable. When we arrived at the venue, we saw hanging balloons with Halloween designs, amazing food, residents with their kids wearing scary costumes, and a corner for the games they prepared. At the end of the event, everybody was looking tired and exhausted, especially the kids, but I could see the happiness and satisfaction on their faces.

 

When we got home and I was already on bed, I looked at the pictures I took, and suddenly reminisced about the Halloween we used to celebrate when I was a kid.

In the Philippines, a week before, we start to clean up the cemeteries and the graves of our love ones; the graves get a layer of fresh paint and everything is made ready for the visits on November 1^st and 2^nd. People from other places start going back to their hometowns to visit their dead loved ones. Airports are packed, as are ships and buses.

 

You might think we have a very boring Halloween, I mean cemeteries, graves, prayers and all, make it seem like a serious affair. Not so. Spending Halloween in the cemeteries is a fun event. It is like a mini-reunion for families and friends alike, a chance to be with those people that we see only once a year. Tents, shelters, chairs and tables are set up in front of the gravesites to provide a place for families and their visitors to stay and talk. Best of all, food and drinks are overflowing during this time, with families bringing basket of foods and drinks to share with others. Food we prepare is not the same as food here, we make native delicacies called “kakanin” some of which are only prepared during Halloween. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother used to tell us not to eat the food that they cooked until it had been offered to the dead loved ones. We do this by taking a small portion of each food and put in a corner with candles.

 

If I am to compare the way Halloween is celebrated today and before, I’ll still choose to celebrate the “BEFORE”, it was so much more fun than these days.

There you have it. Halloween Filipino style. It is definitely different but equally as interesting as the Halloween celebration in other parts of the world…