We asked our readers, why is migrantwriters.sg a valuable resource for YOU?
Check out some of our favourite entries below!
This website is the pathway for us migrant workers to come out from our shells. Showcasing and encouraging us to show and prove that we are not only workers here but we have something inside of us. Helping us to build courage and always being positive despite of hardships that we are facing in our everday life. It helps us express how and what we are really feeling. It makes us feel that we are not different, that we belong to this world. It is helping us to understand each other, learn from each other and most important is, it gives us the positive thinking that even we are workers we have an equal rights in everything and we are treated equally.
– Irish Joy Gedalanga
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who participated, listened to our stories, and shared your thoughts. We received hundreds of entries that truly warmed our hearts.
Here are some of our favourite quotes!
migrantwriters.sg is a valuable resource for employer like me, having a helper at home, I hope she is happy working for me and her mental health is being taken care of. I introduced this website to my helper and she is happy that there are so many programmes for her to join, through these events, she also made more friends that have the same interests, she will also meet up with them during her off days. She also picked up some cooking skills by learning new dishes from Cooking with Migrants programme and she loves Literary walk as she get to meet new friends & explore places in Singapore.
Last but not least, I love hearing all the podcasts, very in depth discussions and really looking forward to hearing more! I will definitely introduce this website to my friends who have helpers at home, glad that there is a community that take care of the welfare of our hardworking migrant workers who left their hometowns & family behind to work for us 🙂
I am a descendant of a migrant worker, and while I acknowledge the kindness that my forefathers received during their struggle here, I have always been taught to pass on such gestures.
I am currently working as an administrator for my company’s migrant workers dormitory. I chance upon this platform, and truly appreciate the events and programmes listed here, where I get to draw inspirations to customise activities that our factory workers would enjoy. I hope in doing so, I am passing on some of my gratitude towards their willingness to accept jobs that few Singaporeans are eager to take on nowadays, at the same time, to make their stay in this pretty nation as pleasant as possible, to enrich their lives while here, and maybe as a foundation when they eventually return to their home country. I hope these can be fond memories that they can cherish and share for many generations to come.
I like to see how MWS blooms over time. It is truly out of dedication and hardwork. The camaraderie and team work of every member is commendable. As part of this community, it became a comforting and safe place for me. I enjoyed the Literary walk most, where you can listen to many different stories, yet from those stories it somehow inspires you and gives you this assurance that you are not alone in this foreign land. It draws strength for you to keep moving forward in life and achieving your goal. The website helps a lot to become a bridge to other people to see what all these empowered ladies are doing in the community. And I hope that there are more people who can discover this website to continue to be a vessel of giving awareness to others that there is a group of migrants in Singapore who can offer many activities to help each and everyone discover their potential talent.
As a Singaporean, it is heartening to know of such an inclusive, safe and accessible platform for our migrant workers to pour their innermost thoughts into, while staying in their home away from home. This resource gifts us an opportunity to reflect on their selfless contributions, and offers us a glimpse into their lives. All these allow us chance to better understand them in our efforts to build a stronger, tolerant and kinder society.
migrantwriters.sg is a valuable resources for giving a voice to the domestic workers and migrant workers in Singapore. It also strive to be a safe space for this group to express and be themselves in programmes that include cooking, writing and the arts. I am pleased to hear about such a resource even as a local. There are many things that we can learn from them, such as their culture, cuisines, and experiences in Singapore and this site is the centre to enable this. In context, I was raised by a Fillipino helper at the age of 8, and she cared and cooked for me delicious Fillipino food, more so than any maternal figure. As such, it may sound weird but learning from people similar to her means I am able to learn more about her indirectly. I hope that people may stop to listen to their stories one day, perhaps, the common stereotypes towards some of these people may dissipate over time. Thank you for having such an initiative and keep up the good work! 🙂
I love how there are frequent workshops and gatherings for people to hone their crafts or meet likeminded people! This is so rare in Singapore and aids in developing budding artists to contribute to Singapore’s art scene! So it’s great that the website is easy and simple to navigate to access these valuable resources. Not only that, these activities are free/affordable and encourages migrants in Singapore to be able to pursue the arts and connect with locals and vice versa. This reduces stigma and xenophobia and forms understanding and friendship between different communities~
I feel like writing and publishing are so often construed as a formal, prestigious practice that it alienates voices who don’t have access to the same resources. I love that this website connects migrant writers with programmes, activities and opportunities (I see some non-literary ones too!) and also lends their work and their presence more visibility in the eyes of Singaporeans. Having a central platform for navigating these things makes such a huge difference, especially to the diversity and inclusiveness in our literary scene. Yay for migrant writing 🙂
This platform allows migrant workers to tell their stories and share their unique perspectives. It acknowledges their voices, struggles, and achievements. Creative writing also serves as a therapeutic outlet for individuals dealing with stress, loneliness, or the challenges of migration. Having their work shared and acknowledged on a platform sends a strong message of validation and inclusion. It shows that their stories and perspectives matter, regardless of their background or immigration status. This platform is also a bridge for cultural exchange, allowing migrant workers to share their unique cultural backgrounds and traditions with a broader audience. This exchange can promote understanding, tolerance, and a sense of belonging in Singapore. Sharing personal stories of triumph over adversity, resilience, and hope can inspire not only the writers but also those of us who read their work. This website promotes mental well-being, connection, and empowerment, offering a sense of purpose and validation to those who may face unique challenges as migrant workers. It’s a testament to the healing power of storytelling and the importance of recognizing the voices and experiences of all individuals in society.
“You’ll never know until you go.”
That’s what my passport said before I flew to Singapore. What will my life be in Singapore? How is Singapore for a migrant like me? These are the questions I have in mind. But my heart was saying another thing. It was saying, “You are the hope of your family.” Just one line. But a line so powerful that it erased so many of my fears and doubts.
If I can speak for all migrants this is what we have in our minds and hearts. We all came to Singapore to work for our families back home.
migrantwriters.sg intertwined the lives of migrants who share the same fears and sentiments here in Singapore. Thank you for giving value to each one of us. You understand our sadness and loneliness in a foreign land by bringing us together. We gained new friends. Thank you for the many activities that showcased our individual talents and skills that we wouldn’t have been able to show in our workplace.
Thank you migrantwriters.sg for giving us back our integrity which are sometimes shattered in our workplace. Thank you for showing us our worth as a human being. God bless you all.
Working in a foreign land where boundaries and commitments are a concern, this is so much of a great help. The platform gives you encouragement especially when you are experiencing a tough situation or feel lost! It helps you get back to your own purpose in life. What an inspiration! You can share your talents and skills that give positivity to someone’s life! I feel the love where people don’t judge you regardless of you are. I am thankful for this platform.
This is a place where migrant workers hone their talents and share stories. Stories of how we grew up in different lands but share the same seas – and the same love for literary arts. Sing Lit transcends borders. It can’t be confined within a red passport. Collecting these stories here demonstrates its fluidity. As a Singaporean, I grapple with the identity of our literature. It’s hard to picture Sing Lit. But this website gives it a voice.
As a Migrant Worker for almost a decade, having an accessible website for everyone, most especially migrants is a very great resource to learn and educate oneself. It gives knowledge and understanding what the life of a migrant is. Having those talented and gifted migrant writers on this social media platform gives those vulnerable ones hope and encouragement through their words of affirmation, kindness that has been showed, stories that have been written and good values that have been developed.
Migrant Writers of Singapore is a valuable collective that humanises migrant workers beyond their job titles. It lets us get to know them as a human from their lived experiences and worldview. Apart from being just a creative outlet, migrantwriters.sg empowers others to come forward to express their emotions and thoughts through the shared power of language.
I love how you guys showcase the good, the bad, the funny, and even the mundane.
It’s not often we hear from our migrant workers themselves – they usually just stay in the background, almost never noticed or heard. You know, back at home they mean the world so a lot of people.
Your section called “publications by migrant workers in Singapore”, for example. I love how you give them a platform to showcase what they do, what they think (by the way, I hope they get a good chunk of the profits from the sales of their books?)
I’ve also developed a liking for your podcast – it’s just very refreshing different from the usual frivolous and superficial Singapore content. Or I think it’s just a matter of taste haha so thank you for being diverse!
And I think you should have more episodes of cooking with migrants!
Thank you for giving our migrant workers a voice. I’m sure we all respect them, but I think most of us are so busy rushing here and there that we sometimes forget to show our appreciation.
I work with migrant workers on the daily; my job as a coordinator in construction and as a part-time associate in a prata shop. Not many can share their stories to a wide audience but I’ve had the pleasure to understand all of theirs and it’s heartening to see some of them get published here. I feel that locals miss how complicated and colourful the lives are migrant workers are. They are strong children, persistent fathers and brilliant mothers.
As a migrant worker myself, I also became a part of the migrant community and became a volunteer in various NGO’s but what you guys doing here, I totally admire all of you, all of you who have been part of this organization, your being CONSISTENT in what you do is really wow a big WOW.
I love your storytelling and poem reading segment. It became an avenue to destress, get rid of sadness. It is truly an expressive way to share whatever we have encountered daily or even what we have encountered deeper within us. Your activities are truly inspiring, you are an inspiration, a great contribution to the lives of our fellow migrants, especially for those who deal emotional and social issues, this has a huge impact on their lives.
I see you on Facebook, your ideas such as poem reading, embroidery making, etc are remarkable for your supporters, especially our fellow migrant workers. Thank you very much!! Keep on going.
I liked that it documented all the programs and work of working with migrants and makes all the information easy to find. Personally I’ve enjoyed Call and Response the anthology series and thus am more interested in the work you all do with migrants. It’s truly inspiring how you bridge the gap between Singaporeans and migrant workers especially since I’ve always find it a bit tough to bridge given the stigma surrounding it especially blue collared workers like domestic helpers and construction workers. It’s a good step towards an inclusive society.
It’s a platform for our migrant writers to express and publish their literary works. This helps other migrants readers to read about others’ published literature. At the same time, this also serves as an invaluable resource for us to know more about them through their works that have been published. Hopefully this also inspires our children to appreciate the contribution of migrants to Singapore and to be thankful for their hard work and their sacrifices and never to take things for granted.
A voice. Something that every human deserves, but don’t always have. That is exactly what the migrant workers website gives the migrant workers. A voice to share their story, their feelings, their perspectives. And that is exactly what I love about this website!
Community. Based on the plethora of creative programmes on the website that are easy to navigate, it gives them a sense of belonging and community, in a place that might otherwise seem unfamiliar to them. A sense of home, if you will!
I also love the use of colours on the website. It’s so vibrant and exciting, and makes me want to browse through the entire website (which I did!)
I am in awe of the efforts put in by the website creator and team. Creating this website truly creates an opportunity for social cohesion in our community. As Singaporeans, we will learn to appreciate our migrant’s contributions and sacrifices in coming to Singapore and helping to build our infrastructures, keep Singapore clean and support our household, etc, as well as create inclusivity for them and welcome them as part of our wider community. I didn’t realise so much effort has been done to accomplish this. Stories are good insights to their thoughts, feelings and perspective. Naturally, we will develop empathy and compassion reading their stories.
This website is truly an eye-opener and I am glad I came upon it. As an educator, I am excited to share this website with my students. So much learning here and how we can participate and support in the activities. I salute the team!”
This website gives a detailed account of the many activities, festivals, workshops conducted with efforts of migrant writers & local writers coming together to inculcate a literary culture amongst migrant workers here in Singapore, facilitate bonding amongst workers giving them a sense of purpose & belonging in this city. Working away from home yet with support of these communities & the opportunities to build trust & bond, help migrant workers resolve their nostalgic homesick feeling.
One thing that strikes a chord is the One Bag One Book effort to instil a reading habit among workers. It is a habit we as locals want to instil in our children.
I discovered there is Migrant Art Festival to promote art reflected in using different techniques, such as painting, photography, sketching, by which they express their thoughts & feelings.
This website lists the books published by migrant workers & gives me a glimpse of their insights in life as migrant worker in foreign land.
The podcasts shows me that migrant workers are equally concerned about Geo-political & climate changes in the world & how they can be affected by it.
Literary Walks to nearby islands are events that Foster trust & build bond.
Overall this website is a reminder we are all human beings with feelings & emotions, faced with own challenges in life.
