Riddled with family debt, Arjun* was desperate when he found the opportunity to come to Singapore with the promise of better income. Heroically, he left his family behind in India with the hopes to help their situation. However, Covid-19 struck. Our national lockdown was imposed and Arjun’s work on a construction site was paused indefinitely. For many months, Arjun only received a basic salary – it was an extremely stressful period for him as he was worried about caring for his family in the face of mounting debts. Feeling trapped in his dormitory with no one close to confide in, Arjun started to lose hope.

It was by chance that our team at The Salvation Army Sojourn befriended Arjun when he attended one of our social activities before the lockdown. During the lockdown, our staff intensified our support system for migrant workers and called to check-in on him. We reached out at just the right time, and he was very relieved to hear from us. Sojourn stepped up to be his friend in this foreign land and help assuage his concerns. We provided regular e-counselling and also sent him care packs containing snacks, fruits, and even energy drinks to lift his spirits. Touched by our concern and support, Arjun has been encouraging his friends to join our activities and services to receive any assistance.

Sojourn is conveniently located in a few dormitories in Singapore, providing migrant workers easy access to our services. Since our inception, we’ve walked alongside many and have positively impacted their lives. In this trying time, our work matters even more. None of us know when this pandemic will end, but we do know that the emotional and mental toll on our migrant workers is immediate and needs to be recognised.

Your donation, however big or small, will go a long way in helping to provide much-needed care for the migrant workers and many other needy beneficiaries under our wide range of social services. Help keep hope alive by making a donation via one of these options:

– Scan the PayNow QR code below with your bank’s mobile application.
– Donate online

*To protect the identity of our beneficiary, his name has been changed and a volunteer model was used in the photograph.