Foreign domestic workers may get another shelter

By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia, 1 Dec 2013

As demand for foreign domestic workers increases, there is a need to have more shelters for them.

Thus, NGOs like the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training, or FAST, is seriously considering setting up its own shelter facility.

The association revealed some expansion plans during the Foreign Domestic Workers (FDW) Day celebrations on Sunday.

FAST president Seah Seng Choon said: "Currently, there are some NGOs that provide shelters, but certainly FDWs who come to us, we may want to offer our service as well. It's always good to have more helping hands than just a few, and we never know the number of such cases may increase over time."

FAST started its 24-hour helpline in June this year, and has received about 70 to 100 calls a month.

There were calls about contractual issues like eligibility of rest days.

But most of the calls came from foreign domestic workers who just needed someone to talk to.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower, Hawazi Daipi, said: "Domestic workers probably need someone familiar to talk to. It may reflect that she needs to talk to someone from her own country, from her own town.

"A network will be useful if she has the opportunity to attend courses at weekends, where she can meet her fellow country persons."

FAST also expects its helpline to receive more calls and will be increasing its resources.

In addition, it is considering providing counselling services as part of the helpline.

The association will also be setting up a clubhouse soon for its Befrienders Service.

Post by Singapore Ministry of Manpower.

Sunday's FDW Day also recognised outstanding workers, like 30-year-old Kiryani who received the FDW of the Year Award.

For the last eight years, she has been caring for her employer's daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy.

She said: "I'm very close to her, like she's my sister even sometimes she calls me second mother."

And to assist victims of Typhoon Haiyan, FAST and its partners donated S$10,000 to the Singapore Red Cross.