We Can Rewrite Our Stories

More domestic helpers learning new skills while working in S'pore

- Christine Tan

Growing up in an Indonesian village where most girls did not pursue higher education, Ms Siti Mujiati nevertheless dreamt of being an educator.

She put that aside when she came to Singapore in 2012 to work as a domestic helper, to raise her two daughters as a single mother.

Years later, while attending financial management courses at Aidha, an independent charity founded in 2006, Ms Siti - who is now 40 - felt inspired to plan for her future again.

She saved up and put herself through three years of online classes. In 2021, she attained a bachelor's degree in English literature from the Indonesia Open University, or Universitas Terbuka.

The Indonesian is one of thousands of domestic helpers here pursuing new skills via courses offered by non-governmental organisations and charities.