Given that Vesak Day and Ramadan fell within the circuit breaker period, the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach (AGWO) – a movement of Hope Initiative Alliance – and its partnering organisations, donors and volunteers came together to care for guest workers commemorating these occasions, by providing them with Festive Care Packs. This project – which supplemented the regular Care Meals distribution – sought to provide 12,000 guest workers with Care Packs across 260 dormitories. The Care Packs included fruits, dried ration items, medical supplies, hygiene products, and a lot more. 

On 5 and 7 May 2020, nearly 300 volunteers – consisting of packers and drivers – came down to the collection points – Bible House at 7 Armenian Street, as well as Sower Hub at TSL 101 – to help distribute the Festive Care Packs nationwide. We were greatly encouraged by the participation of the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin; MP of Tanjong Pagar GRC, Ms Joan Pereira; Mayor of Central Singapore District, Ms Denise Phua; Chairman of Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), Mr Yeo Guat Kwang; General Secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement, Dr William Wan; and Bishop Terry Kee, President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore. We are also grateful for the partnership of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore, and Singapore Buddhist Federation in this exercise. 

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“It is certainly heartening to see Singaporeans coming together to support our guest workers through such community ground-up initiatives. It is my hope that more of us will continue to support such efforts and work together through this trying period.” —Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament 

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“The migrant workers are doing their part by heeding the measures of the government. What we can do is come together to make their lives happier by distributing food, hand sanitisers, and medical supplies to them. Everybody is in this together.”  –Ms Joan Pereira, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC  

“Our actions will always speak louder than words, and put together—regardless of our language, race or religion, or background—this is the right thing to do. We can only overcome this difficult time if we do it together… taking action, dirtying our hands, giving up money and resources wherever possible, to make things better.”  – Ms Denise Phua, Mayor of Central CDC  

“At a point of time when people feel most forgotten and uncared for—is exactly when it is vital that we remind them that we are a community. Only when we are united in our efforts, can we overcome this global pandemic and its repercussions.”  —Rev Ezekiel Tan, President of Hope Initiative Alliance 

“We are glad to have partnered HIA/AGWO, together with several supporting organisations to celebrate Vesak and Ramadan with our migrant brothers and sisters who are residing in the factory converted dormitories. Jointly, we have...showed care and reminded our migrant friends to continue to practice personal hygiene to protect themselves.” —Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman of MWC 

“Through our actions, we are loving our neighbours as ourselves. It is also a wonderful opportunity for churches to work together as one, in cooperation with those of other faiths—demonstrating how we can work for the common good of Singapore.” —Bishop Terry Kee, President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore  

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On 23 and 24 May 2020, the initiative also conducted two special deliveries to about 7,000 guest workers from over 110 factory-converted dormitories, in commemoration of Hari Raya Puasa. Other than the regular Care Meals, both Muslim and non-Muslim guest workers received extra packs of other foodstuffs, enhanced meals – three times the usual value – as well as new sarongs and extra snacks. The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin joined the distribution efforts as the Guest of Honour. We are thankful for the partnership of MWC, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore (IRO), and Singapore Bangladesh Society. 

We are also grateful for the embassies of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, who also helped raise support and contributed donation items. 

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