Escape from loneliness: Scores of migrants in Singapore gather on their off day on Sundays to write poetry and short stories that offer a rare insight into their little known worlds.
SINGAPORE: In dorms on Singapore’s fringes or employers’ backrooms, a growing number of migrant workers are using poetry to shed light on their hidden struggles and reconnect with their roots.
The tiny nation of 5.6 million counts on a million migrant workers from countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, China and Myanmar to fuel its powerhouse economy, working in sectors from construction to services and home help.Although horrific labour abuse cases are rare, campaigners say migrants grapple with unpaid salaries, having their travel documents withheld and massive debts racked up in fees they pay agents to get work.Often tucked away in dormitories for foreign workers and only seen in public on Sundays, their day off, scores of migrants are writing poetry and short stories offering a rare insight into their little known worlds.
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