After working in Singapore for 19 years as a domestic worker, Kina Pitono made the difficult decision to move back to Indonesia. She now lives in Jakarta where she works and continues her studies, trying to adjust to live in her home country again. Her husband still works and lives in Singapore. In this article she reminisces on her recent stay in hospital, the COVID pandemic and freedom.

I DREAM OF BUTTERFLIES

It was dark, it was quiet … half of the world was sleeping, but not me. My body ached, I felt itchy all over, and I felt so much pain in my stomach. It hurt, it really hurt, but why? What was going on, what was happening to me? Slowly I opened my eyes, trying so hard to get up from the bed and finally I could sit up and I was surprised to see red rashes. I panicked, scared and so weak because of the pain in my stomach. I reached out to my phone and tried to call my roommate, but only 30 minutes later I managed to get a hold of her because she was charging her phone and had put it on silent mode.

The moment she came to my room my condition was at its worst. The rashes had spread all over my body, my head two times bigger, my eyes and my lips swollen – I looked horrible, like a monster. My roommate was trying hard to keep me calm while she was calling for an ambulance, grab, taxi – I think she was calling everyone in this world to pick up us.

When we reached the hospital, I had to go through a few tests to make sure that I was not positive for Covid-19. I was relieved when the result was negative. Later, the Doctor confirmed that I had  an allergic reaction and also a digestive infection. I felt so much pain, I cried so much. How I wished my mother was beside me. But because of the pandemic, I kept my illness a secret, I did not want her to worry, I did not want to see her tears.  I wanted her to be happy even though I knew she was sad,  because none of her daughters could come back home for the important day which is  our new  year: Hari Raya Idul Fitri.

The hospital room was quiet, the night cold …. slowly I pulled up my blue blanket, I stared at the wall – with a drip on my hand so I could barely move. The nurse came in and gave me some medicine, so I felt better at last. I tried to sleep but I could not. I really missed my family and my husband. This pandemic has so  much impact on all of us and we are forced to face it. We are forced to lose our jobs, we are forced to leave our loved ones behind, we are forced to stop our businesses, we cannot meet our friends and family, we are not allowed to visit medical patients, the world is suffering. Money is no longer the priority, a title is no longer  important, rich and poor are no different -everyone only focuses on their health.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak has begun, each and every morning that we wake up and still have food on the table is a blessing. Some people worry, can they still survive tomorrow or the day after? They might have no income, but their family still needs to eat. The children are no longer going to school, they are forced to stay at home to study. They cannot go outside to meet their friends and play. Their smiles have turned to gloom.

It was 4 pm in the afternoon. I was told to get enough rest after taking my medicines. My phone suddenly rang …  I was too weak to even move my hand to get my phone from the table. It was my friend  who called me, and crying she told me that her mother had passed away. I was so shocked, I cried too. My friend cannot go back home to see her mother for the last time, she cannot say good bye to her beloved mother, she cannot even attend the funeral. I cried as my heart ached, I felt her pain, which must be terrible, hurt, sad, miserable and disappointed…but what we can do? Knowing we cannot travel because of this pandemic saddened me. But I knew my friend has a strong heart, she can hold her pain of losing her loved ones, and for that I salute her.

I stayed in the hospital for 4 days and finally I was discharged. When I got home I had to quarantine  in my room for a week to prevent spreading of the virus to my roommates. I am blessed, I still have people here, friends who treat me like family. They take care of me very well  and help me whenever I need their help.

But still I miss my freedom, I miss going outside to smell the fresh air, I miss listening to sweet voices of the birds singing on the tree, I miss my family back home, I miss spending quality time with my friends, as we talk and we laugh together.

On the other side of me I could see how they wish the same too. I kneel down, I put my hands to pray, dear God please heal our world, Covid -19 has made us realise we have so much to be thankful, to appreciate every blessing , to care and to love our family and friends.  Our health is our priority.  We miss our freedom of life and wish to have back of our normal life.

We dream of butterflies (freedom).

 

Kina Pitono

Jakarta 2020

By Miriam

Recently I read an opinion piece by Renee Graham, a Globe Columnist that stated “Being a person of color isn’t a risk factor for Corona Virus. Living in a racist country is”.

Racism is a killer. In a pandemic like the one we are in now, it can be a mass murderer. And despite of what we are facing now, discrimination is unstoppable. Don’t get me wrong, by quoting this, I’m not saying that Singapore is a racist country. Instead, I’m referring to some Singaporeans who don’t even think twice before they burst bubbles. It is not only about color, it’s wrong to treat people differently just because of their race, ethnicity, culture or profession; we’re all human beings. What I want to discuss here is discrimination against foreign workers.

Last Friday April 10, 2020, The Straits Times published an article that highlighted a Corona Virus update from dormitories – with 287 cases as the highest cases in a day. Reading the comments under the article I became very upset. There were comments along the line of: “better get all your maids to go for a test too and advice those workers to stop visiting their maid girlfriend” or “those workers should stop patronizing red light district for prostitutes” and “some foreign domestic helpers have Bangladeshi or Indian boyfriends, some sell themselves during their day off too, I see many helper on Skout asking men to pay her services”.

These comments are below the belt. If you have something to say, you can do it with good manners. We as domestic workers have no problem if we have to go and get tested, as this is for our own good. But before you say something harsh about FW’s (Foreign Workers-male) and MDW’s (Migrant Domestic Worker-female), think again.

Aren’t many Singaporeans also patronizing those red light districts? And how would those commenters know if helpers on Skout ask men to pay for their services, unless they were on it themselves, looking? If some of the helpers have Bangladeshi, Indian or whatever race boyfriends, what’s the problem with that? Are we not allowed to like or love them, just because we are helpers? Is that a crime?

As my co-writer Iya said in the anthology Our Homes, Our Stories: “Our hands has five fingers with different lengths, just  the same as every other person in Singapore.” These foreigners you are discriminating are  working hard, even if some employers maltreat them; because they want to give the best for their family back home..

If FW’s and MDW are showing some public display of affection, often people  take photos, upload them on social media and let those netizens criticise it like they’ve done a horrible crime. Of course we understand right now we need to practice social distancing, but even before, this happened. It’s normal to show affection for a couple in a relationship. And if there are some helpers and foreign workers, who do more than they should do still, you can’t  think that all FW’s and MDW’s are the same. You never know what  they are going through – each person you meet has a story to tell, so instead of being judgemental, just listen well! It’s so unfair to judge  MDW and FW’s and exclude us from the things that human beings are free to do, just because we are helpers or construction workers.

I’m wondering if these people have ever imagined their lives without a foreign worker to collect their everyday trash, trim their garden, fix their leaking pipes, renovate the broken things inside their house, re-construct the road so that they can drive conveniently? Have they ever thought to figure out what to do in their everyday lives without a foreign helper to cook their meals, tidy their bed, clean their house, stay up late at night, when their kids are sick and look after them in their absence.

‘Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you’. Remember domestic workers and foreign workers are human beings that work hard. For them, this time of Covid-19 is as bad as for anyone, maybe worse. Don’t judge them without knowing them. They don’t deserve to be discriminated!

Can Foreign Domestic Workers Still Go Out To Parks For Exercise?

By Bhing

I refer to the published on April 11, stating that foreign domestic workers must stay home on their rest days.

I want to clarify whether domestic workers are allowed to go out for some exercise, such as walks in parks. The article states that “if they need to go out to buy meals or run essential errands, they can do so but should return home immediately after that and should not loiter or gather in any public spaces.” No mention is made about whether we can leave the house for some fresh air.

I understand that the government has clarified that people generally are allowed to go out to parks during this period of circuit breaking, as long as we practice safe social distancing. I want to ask if this advisory by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also allows domestic helpers to exercise in parks as well, since the article published seems rather ambiguous.

This has contributed to much uncertainty for domestic helpers like myself, since I am unsure of whether I am allowed to go out for walks during this period. My employer is also not sure, and because the law holds my employers accountable for my actions, they are reluctant to give me permission to go out.

I understand why my employers are hesitant, for the advisory is written rather ambiguously. I also understand that MOM is trying to discourage people from congregating in public spaces, and I wholeheartedly support this and understand the public health reasons behind this.

However, I am concerned about domestic helpers who may feel claustrophobic or suffer from cabin fever, after being cooped up in a house and working so hard for so long. We are not asking to go out to meet our friends; we are simply asking to have the chance to leave of place of work once a while and go out for some fresh air. I am also concerned that there is a double standard at work here, where other people are allowed the rights to visit parks as they please, whereas us domestic helpers need to seek permission from our employers.

I hope MOM clarifies this point quickly. Domestic helpers are also human, and have similar needs. The government has previously classified socially distant exercise in parks as “essential” for people’s well-being; I hope domestic helpers’ “essential” needs can be met as well.