Mira Story

Introducing my name is Mira working as domestic worker from Java, I am the second child of four sisters. My childhood and my family can be said to be very complicated and sad, my father died when I was five years old, where we, his children, were separated because my mother was unable to support the four of us. I was adopted by a family from Java, it was in Java that I spent my life following other people from the age of six until I was a teenager and was in second grade of junior high school, joining my adoptive parents and working for them. Then, not having finished junior high school, I joined another different family and moved to Jakarta. I finished junior high school and also high school in Jakarta.

In high school, I joined other people who were different and worked in my employer’s family until I graduated and after graduation I still served (such as paying debts) even though I was never paid while working, instead I went to school. After leaving a family where I had graduated from high school and started to be independent, able to work and earn money for my own needs, even though it was not big, I am very grateful that the family where I work is a very good family, with this last family I work the salary is not big and I think what I work in Jakarta is very difficult work with high school graduates with no work experience.

Until one day someone offered me to work in Singapore, namely to become a domestic worker. In my mind and my life, I never picked up to become a migrant worker because I never knew anyone who was a migrant worker. It was like a dead end in my life at that time. I wanted to improve my life. I wanted to give my parents money and continue my further education. Which if I continue my school or college then I can improve my life by applying to a better workplace or learning to work in an office. Especially computers. I really wanted to learn computers because seeing the people around me at that time, the children of a family that I work with, they can use computers. I wanted to become a better person like them.

At the end of 2015 I decided to become a domestic worker in Singapore. I became a domestic worker in Singapore for about three months. I experienced an bad accident, I want to tell you clearly about the disaster that I experienced, but remembering what happened at that time, I felt very sick and sometimes I still have trauma. The next thing that changed my life was my meeting with brother Jolovan and sister Bridget from HOME Singapore and at that time I was very sick just come out from hospital because I was have operation because of my accident when I was working in my employer. Then at that time brother Jolovan refer me to Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita in Batam to wait for my recovery and there was Nurul, Kak Ayu and sister Martje from Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita they are all like guardian angels for me :), they accommodate me who is nothing and also provide follow-up medical expenses after leaving Singapore I stay there for almost three years. Grateful for being given the opportunity to live again with God, I have learned a lot from my accident that I have experienced and so far I recovering. Because I couldn’t lift heavy weights Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita gave me apportunity to learn a new skill for becoming kindergarten teacher (pgtk school).

Becoming a teacher is far from my daily life (housework and catering/kitchen). Gradually I learned to be a kindergarten teacher and after graduating I returned to my village. Continuing school-related work, becoming a non-formal school administrator. On the advice of sister Bridget, who I consider a fairy godmother, Yayasan Dunia Viva Wanita continued my studies at open university and now I am at semester five. I always say thanks to sister Bridget, the advice you taught me will always be remembered.

Whatever I experienced while working as a domestic worker in Singapore, even though it was very hard and sad, now I am continuing my life to be a better human being, grateful and useful for those around me.