Imagine moving to a new country all by yourself in the hopes that you can earn money and help support your family.
Scary, isn’t it?
That’s the reality for many migrant workers in Singapore.
Recently, a migrant worker who took loans to come to Singapore was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
To make matters worse, he was scheduled to be sent back immediately.
Migrant Worker Diagnosed with Tuberculosis
A Facebook post by ItsRainingRaincoats, a local volunteer group, detailed the migrant worker’s plight.
The young Bangladeshi worker had arrived in Singapore a mere two weeks ago.
He wasn’t even 21 years old.
He had taken on huge loans to aid his journey and pay agency fees in order to secure a job in Singapore.
However, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was scheduled to be sent back to Bangladesh immediately.
He didn’t even have a bank account since he had just arrived in Singapore. In addition, he was not familiar with the local language.
A Small Miracle
Thankfully, the volunteer group heard of the worker’s plight a few hours before his flight.
In only two hours, they managed to raise enough funds to help the worker pay back his loans.
Fortunately, a member of ItsRainingRaincoats managed to pass the worker the cash right as he was about to go through immigration at Changi Airport.
Bittersweet Ending
Though the worker could not fulfil his dreams, he departed Singapore with renewed hope.
It’s incredible how members of the public managed to pull together enough funds on such short notice. It goes to show that humanity isn’t all bad.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for migrant workers to face struggles in a new, unfamiliar country.
They make great efforts to come to Singapore and begin a new life.
However, life isn’t easy for them at all.
In 2020, the poor living conditions of dormitories were called into question when almost 90% of COVID-19 cases were migrant workers.
In October 2022, a false ceiling of a dormitory collapsed after a thunderstorm, injuring two workers.
Volunteer groups like ItsRainingRaincoats aim to improve the lives of migrant workers and help them integrate into Singapore’s community.
The group thanked everyone who responded promptly and made the gesture possible.
It’s heartening to see people spread love to those in need.
After all, we’re all human at the end of the day.
Hormat to ItsRainingRaincoats and other such organisations for their continuous efforts to spread kindness.
Featured Image: Facebook (@ItsRainingRaincoats)
