Artin’s Story:

I’m a mother of two daughters, and was a housewife before I came to Singapore. Since the beginning of our marriage, my husband and I have lived independently from our families. He worked as a day labourer while managing a small business in our village. When our second daughter turned one, the business suffered major losses and had to shut down. With it, my husband also lost his job. He kept trying to find work, but was unable to secure stable employment.

Our financial situation deteriorated rapidly. I watched our savings disappear, and eventually had to sell my belongings just to meet our daily needs. When my second daughter turned two, I began seriously considering working abroad. 

The thought of leaving my children behind tore at my heart. After many long conversations, my husband and I made the difficult decision that I would go overseas to work while he cared for our daughters and continued searching for a job. Although he had initially opposed the idea because he believed a wife’s duty was to stay home and care for the family, I was relieved when he finally accepted it and gave me his blessing.

Ideally, my husband should be the one working overseas. Providing for the family is usually seen as a man’s responsibility, but for men in Indonesia, overseas employment is expensive and much more difficult to come by. For women, the process is simpler, cheaper, and the opportunities are more accessible, so we chose this path.

Despite being far from one another, we consistently encourage and keep the other party in our prayers. There are still moments when I feel guilty for not being around to raise our children, and for not fulfilling what is expected of me as a mother. But I have accepted that what I am doing is necessary, even if it doesn’t match the traditional image of a woman’s role.

There are days when I feel overwhelmed, angry, tired from work, and burdened by life in Singapore. I constantly ask myself: Why did his business have to fail? Why am I the one paying off his debts? Why is it so hard for him to find a job? He also struggles to express his emotions, which adds to my frustration. But all marriages have their ups and downs, and I choose to stay.

This is my story. Women should have the freedom to choose to work, and no one should judge them. When life doesn’t go according to plan, there is nothing wrong with a woman stepping up to support her family if it is her choice.

This is also why my daughters are my strength. My greatest hope is for them to go to university, and become whoever they want to be. I believe every woman deserves that freedom.

Women embody strength, dreams, and the power to shape a better future. I believe I can get through this journey, because God will never give us a burden greater than we can bear.