By Janson Chang, based on an interview in September 2017 Remo (not his real name) is one man among many as he sidles forward in the queue to have his meal card stamped. He doesn’t say much, and is about to head off after receiving the stamp – till a closer look at his Special
By Katia Barthélémy Heading to one of the restaurants in Little India where TWC2 offers free meals to injured and salary-unpaid migrant workers, I am wondering about the kind of life story I will come across tonight. As a fairly new volunteer with TWC2, my limited experience makes me think everything is about physical injuries.
By Jean Law Debesh* is going back to Bangladesh after a mere four months working in Singapore. He is leaving much poorer than if he had not come at all. This is because his money was taken from him in an illegal transaction that was not brought to justice. He tried to get the police
By Seema Punwani Shahidulla Md Anser Ali knew the safety rules. The job needed four men so that there would be enough eyes to watch the delicate operation from multiple angles. He was assigned only two. He tried to explain to his superior the importance of adhering to safety protocols especially as the main contractor
By Mark Lamb Thursday, 5 May 2016. "An emergency" whisks through the room where we're convening to discuss communication plans for Transient Workers Count Too. My barometer perks up but it is no time for self-interest as this appears to be a serious matter and one of immediate urgency. In a calm but pressing voice,
Kamal gingerly opened a window, hoping it wouldn't make a noise. Heart pounding, he stepped out, trying not to look down. He was twelve floors up Block 601 Jurong West. With certain death should he miss a step, he made his way to the ground, never before so careful in his life. Hailing a taxi,
In the much acclaimed 1948 Italian movie of the same name, the protagonist searches for his stolen bike, the bike that he needs to keep his job to help his family escape from poverty in post-World War 2 Italy. Arman, the protagonist of this story who came to work in Singapore to help lift his
By Fatima Ying I was given the opportunity to intern for TWC2 and the experience allowed me to interact with migrant workers, most of whom are Indian and Bangladeshi nationals. Through my conversations with them, I got to find out more about their culture and lifestyle here and gained some interesting insights into the world
By Shona Loong Sandir’s story Standing together in Lembu Park Open Space (the ‘Minimart’), 32-year old Sandir points to a spot on the ground and reminisces. In 2008, on the first of three migration trips to Singapore, the Bangladeshi man was caught for littering here. He professes to remember it clearly: after chewing on some
By Alexandra Galvez “I don’t want to go to jail. I cannot come back to Singapore to work if I go to jail. I like Singapore and I want to continue working here. I need to provide for my family,” Ali (not his real name) is worried, his countenance darkening with anxiety and desperation. The
