Mdm Aini*, 32 years old, came to Singapore in 2016 in order to provide a better life for her two children who is now 6 and 11 years old. She lives in a rural village in Indonesia where she lived in poverty and it was her first time leaving her village to work overseas. She worked as a domestic helper for a Singaporean family for 2 years before escaping in January this year.

The Struggle

When she arrived in Singapore, she worked for her Singaporean employers with 2 young children who were below 2 years old. Mdm Aini informs us that her employers did not pay her salary of S$580 per month for 22 months. They initially paid her salary for the first two months but stopped paying after that. Mdm Aini informs us that she worked without a salary every day, with no off days, from Mondays to Sundays, more than 12 hours each day.

Mdm Aini also informs us that her employers would occasionally physically abuse her. She recounted an incident in the Middle of 2018 where her female employer threw her mobile phone at her face and upon impact, her nose bled, and her right eye was swollen. She was not allowed to receive medical attention and it took a few weeks for the wounds to heal.

Mdm Aini also informs us that her movements were also highly controlled, and she was not allowed to use a handphone and to contact her family. In the 2 years that she was in Singapore, she rarely had contact with her children and husband. She finally escaped in January 2019 with the help of a migrant worker advocacy group. There she learnt that her husband has left the family and her two children were under the care of her elderly parents.

Being unpaid for 22 months and having almost no contact with her family has caused tremendous stress on her family. Her husband walked out on their children and is no longer contactable. Her two children are currently being cared for by her elderly parents who struggles to provide for them. This has caused her family tremendous hardship and Mdm Aini tremendous stress.

Help Needed – Give Hope

Mdm Aini is currently staying in a shelter run by a migrant worker advocacy group since January 2019. She recently underwent an eye check up after her right eyesight deteriorated. She is currently under 3 months of medication and if there are no signs of improvement, she will have to undergo surgery to correct her vision.

Ray of Hope would like to raise S$1,000 to defray her family’s living expenses for a few months. Mdm Aini is expected to be in Singapore for many months while the police and MOM completes their investigations. Please give hope to Mdm Aini and her family while they brave through this very difficult time!

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of Mdm Aini while police investigations are still ongoing