Fighting for Human Dignity

Christian Action is one of many organisations which give hope to those who are neglected. I am grateful that many organisations have recognised our efforts and have partnered with us. One of the oganisations is Mission21 of Switzerland, who send us passionate people to work in our Centre for Migrant Domestic Workers (CMDW).

Recently, one of those assigned to Christian Action through the Professionals Exposure Programme (PEP) of Mission21, was Serafina Häfeli. In the Swiss newspaper, Reformiert, Serafina has spoken about her wonderful and insightful experiences during her one-year stay with us. Stories like hers (below) encourage me to continue with our good work.

We will miss working with Serafina
and we wish her well!

Because of her interest in the migration of women, 27-year-old Serafina took the opportunity to work at CMDW. It greatly expanded her knowledge about labour migration in Asia. In our centre, she happily served as a client advisor. Most of the time, she took on the task of carefully listening to the many stories of injustices, and then advising the clients of their rights and possible legal options. She also dealt with relevant government departments such as the Labour Department, Immigration Department and the police.

Some of the stories she heard shocked her, and gave her a glimpse of how people are often deprived of life’s most essential things. She said, "There are families that do not give enough food to domestic workers. There are also situations where the domestic worker has nowhere to sleep, other than on a mat on the floor between the fridge and the table. Domestic workers are denied their legal rights to human existence."

Serafina is now developing a platform that will connect volunteer-based NGOs/associations. She is also looking for other opportunities to work as a researcher in developmental aid.

I am grateful that we were able to help Serafina grow in her advocacy for people in need. I pray that we may continue to assist people like her, in order to build an inclusive and harmonious society.