Janeta Espiritu left Manila, Philippines, and landed in Singapore in 2011 as a migrant domestic worker. She brought with her a hope to give her two kids a better life. Janeta recalls her difficulties starting work as a 17-year-old in The Philippines and the hurdles she faced trying to rent a place to live.

It has been five years since Poe Phu Thin left her home in Myanmar to work in Singapore as a migrant domestic worker (MDW). Before this, she was working as a tuition teacher teaching mathematics for five years. While she enjoyed teaching primary school students, the salary was not enough to support her family, that was when she made the decision to work in Singapore. As a tutor, education is something she is very passionate about and she tries to cultivate it through lifelong learning. “The more you read, the more you know and the more you learn, the more places you can go. There’s a lot of things you can learn online!”

Ismiatun Iskun came to Singapore from Indonesia more than 20 years ago, leaving her then four-year-old son. During her time working here as a foreign domestic worker (FDW), Ismiatun attended several courses to expand her skill-set. With the encouragement and support of her employers, she started taking sewing courses and learned how to design and create her own bags and more from scratch! With further self-directed practice and research, she was able to create more elaborate and intricate designs and is excited to try other designs!

Emelda Cariaga left her home in the Philippines almost 30 years ago to work as a foreign domestic worker in Singapore with a clear goal to financially support her family. She realised the importance of being financially stable, and she was determined to learn how to make the most of the wages she earned. When her employer introduced her to Aidha’s courses, she didn’t think twice about joining. Her employers gave her the support she needed and offered to sponsor her enrolment fees.

After graduating from high school in Lampung, Indonesia, Rara Anggriani worked at her relative’s shop selling spare parts before heading to Malaysia to become a domestic worker. After a couple years in Malaysia, Rara arrived in Singapore in 2012 to work as a domestic worker and has since helped fund the construction of a family home in Indonesia as well as set up another spare parts shop that is managed by her mother.

Despite challenges in her youth, Rara managed to always remain positive and it radiates when she shares about her hopes and dreams.

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