Sheree shares her life as a Homie!

In January 2010, my husband and I moved to Singapore from Australia with his company . I subsequently decided to make a career change which gave me some free time. In February, a colleague at my husband's work informed me about HOME, where she had volunteered. Coming from Australia, the role of the domestic worker was new to me and I was astounded by the number of hours and conditions (e.g. tiny rooms) that these women had to live in.

When I found out how HOME helped these women, I wanted to get involved so contacted Margaret (Sisi) and signed up for help desk and research assistance. On my first day, Florence (who was also starting as a volunteer) and I watched and listened to Melanie, a social worker, interview the domestic workers and liaise with agents/employers for mediation purposes. Her patient and open approach encouraged both sides of events to be heard. During the day, many of the women said they missed their families back home — many had young children in their home country — and were homesick.

We were also lucky enough to meet Bridget on our first day and could see the respect and admiration the workers have for her. I have volunteered at HOME for a few weeks now and feel it is a privilege to be a part of the team. The experience is helping me to grow personally and gives a sense of fulfillment through helping the community.

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