‘I want to have a purpose beyond just working’: Foreign domestic worker on gaining more skills
Ms Sharon Prospero decided to become more productive by attending workshops on financial literacy, community emergency preparedness and digital literacy. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Andrew Wong
SINGAPORE - Ms Sharon Prospero, a domestic helper from the Philippines, used to spend her days off catching up with her friends in Singapore. Recently, she has become more productive.
Within the first six months of 2023, Ms Prospero, 34, attended workshops on financial literacy by Aidha, an organisation that caters to migrant domestic workers and lower-income Singaporean women, the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme held by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and sessions on digital literacy with DBS Bank.
She said the financial sessions have been especially useful, as it teaches her not only to be smarter with her money, but also to watch out for phishing scams that have been on the rise.
She was among foreign domestic workers (FDW) who attended the seventh annual National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) May Day Domestic Employees Celebration at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East on Sunday.
The multi-talented Ms Prospero also performed a song for the about 1,000-strong audience.
She started volunteering with the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) a year ago, and has been encouraging more FDWs to upskill themselves with the programmes available at the centre, including those in the realm of current digital literacy and language.
She told The Straits Times on Sunday: “I want to have a purpose beyond just working here. I also want to help other FDWs to gain more skills.”
With the blessings of her employer, Ms Prospero, who has been working in Singapore for four years, often spends her Sundays attending events or sessions organised by CDE.
“I believe in the saying that we should never stop learning. Attending such sessions can help enhance my abilities and my thinking skills,” she said.
The mother of two children, aged 12 and 14, also said keeping herself busy helps her to cope with being away from her family.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang, along with embassy representatives from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Ms Gan said: “Many employers have told me that they are very grateful to the domestic employees for staying through, especially during the Covid-19 period, despite the challenges.”
Andrew Wong
SINGAPORE - Ms Sharon Prospero, a domestic helper from the Philippines, used to spend her days off catching up with her friends in Singapore. Recently, she has become more productive.
Within the first six months of 2023, Ms Prospero, 34, attended workshops on financial literacy by Aidha, an organisation that caters to migrant domestic workers and lower-income Singaporean women, the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme held by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and sessions on digital literacy with DBS Bank.
She said the financial sessions have been especially useful, as it teaches her not only to be smarter with her money, but also to watch out for phishing scams that have been on the rise.
She was among foreign domestic workers (FDW) who attended the seventh annual National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) May Day Domestic Employees Celebration at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East on Sunday.
The multi-talented Ms Prospero also performed a song for the about 1,000-strong audience.
She started volunteering with the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) a year ago, and has been encouraging more FDWs to upskill themselves with the programmes available at the centre, including those in the realm of current digital literacy and language.
She told The Straits Times on Sunday: “I want to have a purpose beyond just working here. I also want to help other FDWs to gain more skills.”
With the blessings of her employer, Ms Prospero, who has been working in Singapore for four years, often spends her Sundays attending events or sessions organised by CDE.
“I believe in the saying that we should never stop learning. Attending such sessions can help enhance my abilities and my thinking skills,” she said.
The mother of two children, aged 12 and 14, also said keeping herself busy helps her to cope with being away from her family.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang, along with embassy representatives from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Cambodia and the Philippines.
Ms Gan said: “Many employers have told me that they are very grateful to the domestic employees for staying through, especially during the Covid-19 period, despite the challenges.”
Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang (centre) interacting with domestic workers at the NTUC May Day Domestic Employees Celebration 2023 on June 18.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
The annual event, organised by NTUC and CDE to recognise the contributions of the FDWs in Singapore, was also live-streamed to nearly 2,000 people.
Ms Gan said the CDE will continue to expand the current outreach programmes available, which include those that Ms Prospero has already attended. One area that the agency is already working on is to identify partners to pilot essential caregiver training.
She said: “CDE also organises recreational and social activities for domestic workers to have a place to socialise and play on their rest days.”
The annual event, organised by NTUC and CDE to recognise the contributions of the FDWs in Singapore, was also live-streamed to nearly 2,000 people.
Ms Gan said the CDE will continue to expand the current outreach programmes available, which include those that Ms Prospero has already attended. One area that the agency is already working on is to identify partners to pilot essential caregiver training.
She said: “CDE also organises recreational and social activities for domestic workers to have a place to socialise and play on their rest days.”
The multi-talented Ms Prospero also performed a song for the about 1,000-strong audience.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
The centre will also look to offer customised language training by the third quarter of 2023, according to Ms Lynn Koi, its executive director.
In May, the CDE, in partnership with the Ministry of Manpower, opened its third CDEConnect centre in Woodlands. The other two centres are located in Pasir Panjang and Tampines.
These centres help to reach out to FDWs to ensure they are adjusting to Singapore, and also to mediate issues with their employers when necessary.
The centre will also look to offer customised language training by the third quarter of 2023, according to Ms Lynn Koi, its executive director.
In May, the CDE, in partnership with the Ministry of Manpower, opened its third CDEConnect centre in Woodlands. The other two centres are located in Pasir Panjang and Tampines.
These centres help to reach out to FDWs to ensure they are adjusting to Singapore, and also to mediate issues with their employers when necessary.
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