Dutch expat, twice published author and general do-gooder KARIEN VAN DITZHUIJZEN is deeply involved in the daily operations of HOME, the registered charity that offers shelter and support for runaway domestic workers in Singapore. Her latest project is a book of non-fiction stories by some of the many women that the organisation has helped.
Domestic workers can be seen everywhere in Singapore’s streetscape, Karien points out – in our parks, in shopping centres, and most importantly in our homes. But who are they really? Although these women form an integral part of our society, their voices are not often heard in Singapore literature.
The idea of Our Homes, Our Stories is to give a voice and a face to migrant domestic workers in Singapore, she says. At the same time, it aims to create awareness of the heart-breaking issues that confront them, both here and in their home countries. It’s to be launched this month in celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March.
How are you involved with HOME?
I’ve been part of HOME since 2012, in several capacities, including managing the shelter and its volunteers. At the shelter, I have run empowerment workshops and classes in creative writing. In 2014, I founded the HOME MyVoice blog (myvoiceathome.org) as a platform for migrant workers to share their stories. This book publication project is a culmination of all the work that we’ve been doing with our domestic worker writers over the years.
What are the stories about?
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2018 من EL Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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