Covid-19 Challenges

July 17, 2020

SCMP Young Post cadet Sander‌ Kuijs recently wrote the article about the Bethune House . Check out excerpt below or click here for the full article.

Bethune House is “home” to many migrant domestic workers who have nowhere to go. Many have had their contracts terminated without reasonable cause. Some are facing gruelling court cases, while others are simply seeking safety away from abusive employers.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has left the already vulnerable migrant worker population facing rising levels of discrimination and financial hardship. 

Bethune House is a temporary women’s shelter run by the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW). The charity, dedicated to serving the city’s nearly 400,000 migrants, offers refuge to dozens of distressed workers at a time. Migrant workers can “walk in” to the MFMW office, in St John’s Cathedral, Central.

But Erwiana Sulistyaningsih could not even walk. The physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her employer left her in a wheelchair. She says: “My employer left me at the airport. There, I met a fellow Indonesian who asked me [what happened], because I had so many wounds and couldn’t walk. She told me about Bethune House.” 

Sulistyaningsih lived in the shelter during her legal battle with her former employer, as the Immigration Department does not allow migrant workers to continue working while their court cases are being heard. Her employer was found guilty of assault in February 2015 but she was released from prison after serving only about half of her six-year sentence.

During her stay in Bethune House, Sulistyaningsih received more than just free food and shelter. The charity provided her with legal guidance, including “know-your-rights” sessions and advice on court etiquette. It also addresses the educational and emotional needs of its residents by organising language, computer and cooking lessons, as well as outings and activities, such as yoga and handicraft.