Migrant worker rights group Home celebrates 20th anniversary

The migrant worker rights group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) on Dec 8 celebrated its 20th anniversary with song and dance performances that brought a party atmosphere to the United World College South East Asia Dover campus.

- Samuel Devaraj

At the celebration, which also commemorated International Migrants Day that falls on Dec 18, a group of five domestic workers named Girls Supreme Force donned colourful matching jackets and danced to a medley of songs.

The group had won in the dancing category of a talent show organised by the non-governmental organisation.

A performance by another domestic worker, Ms Chemberly Budeng, the winner of the singing category, got the crowd clapping along and roaring in laughter after she told them that she practises performing while cooking.

At the Dec 8 celebration, which was attended by about 400 migrant workers from countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines, Home also gave out prizes for a volleyball competition and table tennis tournament it had held previously.

Speaking at the event, Home president Ng Kok Hoe said since the organisation was founded in 2004 by migrant worker activist Bridget Tan, it has offered assistance to over 40,000 migrant workers, equipped close to 20,000 with critical skills via its academy and provided temporary housing to more than 10,000 of such workers.