The learning journey at Aidha does not end at our Module 3 – Start Your Business! We have the Aidha Business Accelerator (ABA) programme that provides support to Aidha alumnae who aspire to set up or strengthen their own businesses with more tailored support and significant new funding opportunities. We relaunched the new and improved ABA programme in 2020, and received encouraging participation from our alumnae! This year, as we ran the programme over Zoom, we were able to include alumnae who were back in their home countries for the first time. To make the programme more customised, we offered two different tracks – “Take Off” and “Runway”.
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Ismiatun’s Big Plans!
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!
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Emelda’s Convenience Store
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.
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Light Up the World
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.
No Age Bar for Learning
After struggling to find a stable job in her hometown in the Philippines, Gleia Mae Duenas and her husband had to turn their house into a storage facility. When her four-year-old daughter innocently asked her why they had to live in a storage house, Gleia knew she had to do something to secure a better life for their futures.
Written by: Preethy Sajan
Giving Voice to Unspoken Lives
Written by: Ida Supahat
After months of preparation, Aidha’s signature event, the third annual Unspoken life photography exhibition was open during the weekend of 24th and 25th November 2018 at the Intersections Gallery.
Fiery Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
Congratulations to the Class of 2018! We are so proud of you!
Written by Hannah Collins
With the year coming to a close, Aidha was proud to celebrate the graduation of the latest cohort of 110 students. The auditorium buzzed with excitement as the graduates entered, and they were welcomed with rapturous applause from their friends and employers!
2018 Graduation Competitions!
Written by Hannah Collins
On October 7th 2018, 12 out of 110 graduating students were selected as finalists for the Personal Financial Plan and Business Plan competitions after a lengthy judging process. After weeks of preparation and many hours spent with their mentors, the students were both nervous and excited to give their presentations.
A Talent Not to Be Missed!
Written by: Priyansha Reddy
Ritchelle Mantiquilla is from the Phillippines and is a widow with 2 sons. Much against the will of her father, she moved to Singapore 10 years ago, in search of work and a better future for her sons. She earnestly explains that a helper’s job is no different from a mother’s and vehemently disapproves of the stigma associated with this selfless profession. Little did she know that fateful day, the magnitude and extent to which her life would change, forever.
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Egg-cited for Sri Yanah’s Chicken Farm Business
Sri Yanah’s graduated from Aidha in 2016
Before she enrolled at Aidha, life for Sri Yanah was like many of our students. She worked in Singapore for years before she heard of Aidha and was struggling with a lack of confidence and found it hard to socialise with others. And like many FDWs similar to her situation, saving was not a priority. After sending money home to Semarang in Central Java (Indonesia) each month, she would give herself a small allowance for spending “I didn’t think about saving money for my future,” she said.
Written by: Sarah Datta
