CAPTain Spotlight 4 of 9: Our Migrant Brothers

Article written by Mark Ngoh, Angelica Ang, Bryan Goh & Grace Cheong

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented upheaval to the world, and to Singapore, forcing the nation into a period of Circuit Breaker in efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Even as our economy and society reopen, it is evident that the pandemic has brought, and will continue to bring unique challenges to different communities in Singapore.

Although these times have been rife with uncertainty and unknowns for many of us, several CAPTains, both past and present, have gone above and beyond to play their part in making a difference — no matter how big or small — in our community. The Active Community Engagement (ACE) wing in CAPT has launched an initiative, CAPTain Spotlight, to share the stories of these CAPTains. Through this initiative, we curate and share the narratives of nine individuals/groups of CAPTains who have embodied the ACE spirit – actively engaging with the communities in their midst. This is the fourth of our ‘Spotlight’ stories.

CAPTain Spotlight 4: Our Migrant Brothers

A community greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are our migrant workers. A large majority of the cases in Singapore have come from the migrant worker community, exposing a mass of systematic issues embedded within our society with regards to their treatment.

Esther Teo and Siew Meng Ren (both CAPT alumni) have been engaging migrant workers at the Sungei Tengah Lodge for the past two years. They were first introduced to SG Accident Help Centre (SGAHC) by Dr Tan Lai Yong, and that partnership eventually led to Esther and Meng Ren conducting classes teaching English and basic computer skills to migrant workers. Through their engagement , Esther and Meng Ren were able to develop strong bonds with them.

When COVID-19 struck, Esther and Meng Ren’s migrant friends shared that they faced challenges obtaining sufficient hand sanitizers, hand soap, and face masks. Some were unable to access these items because of the price surge. Esther and Meng Ren thus decided to start collecting these items from their families and friends to give it to the migrant workers. Although they initially intended to keep this a personal initiative, their actions spurred their friends and families to start collecting from their own social circles, buying hand sanitizer wholesale to re-bottle, and even starting their own fund raisers.

Esther and Meng Ren’s story showcased the power of ripple effects, where their actions led to bold, unexpected, initiatives by others. In taking the step to build personal bridges with migrant workers, they were a catalyst to many other bridges being formed. Beyond these two years of engagement, they continue to see the ripple effects in the lives of those around them, with the families and friends of volunteers experiencing a change from witnessing their actions and passion.

These Spotlight stories are all about ordinary CAPTains in extraordinary times. Even in the clout of uncertainty, these CAPTains have found ways to build bridges with communities, some even from their own bedrooms! We hope that these anecdotes provide you with warmth from reading how some CAPTains are making a difference in the lives of others, and encouragement that even the smallest actions can result in unexpected ripple effects. Therein lies the beauty and power of community engagement; via the formation of relationships and understanding, interactions can lead to actions, some of which we cannot foresee. Remember that our ability to carry out community engagement is only limited by our imaginations!

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