Dear COVID-19,
We thought we had you under control when you first arrived in January. Alas you made your presence known among our migrant community friends in April, turning their lives upside down.
It can't have been easy for them, having to be isolated in their dormitories, in close quarters with their fellow worker friends. I can imagine their distress and frustration, having to stay in their tiny, crowded rooms 24/7. Imagine living each day in fear of being infected by their fellow occupants, as the numbers steadily climbed day by day. The pain of isolation is real, and this I'm sure you know.
The purpose of our work at ItsRainingRaincoats is about integrating our migrant worker friends into our society; for them to be an organic part of our lives, for us to acknowledge their presence and contribution in building our nation. The circuit breaker period was no better time for us who call Singapore home to come together to do our part in meeting their basic needs and making their days a little easier. It was time we showed that we cared.
We at ItsRainingRaincoats quickly mobilised ourselves by starting several outreach initiatives to provide various forms of aid. Through our Data Card Drive we encouraged the public to donate data cards so the migrant workers could keep in touch with their families while they stayed indoors. We started MAD WISH, a programme to teach English to migrant workers virtually, all done by volunteers. We distributed hot meals and essential items through Project Belanja which is funded by generous sponsors, and we raised emergency funds for families of migrant workers who lost their lives to the pandemic.
As we move into Phase 2, there is still much work to be done. We receive notes of gratitude from our migrant worker friends and see grateful smiles on their faces. In these heartfelt expressions, we find the strength to carry on although we are sometimes exhausted. COVID-19, your presence among us has only served to make us stronger, and the vision we have for our work has never been clearer.