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This afternoon, in celebration of the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) third anniversary, CDE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with several new strategic partners that have committed to working with CDE to further enhance the rights and welfare of domestic employees. These strategic partners are the Singapore Red Cross, The Salvation Army, NTUC LearningHub, the Association for Persons with Special Needs, POSB and Singtel.
CDE’s Executive Director, Mr Shamsul Kamar also shed insights on CDE’s Third Social Report Card and how these partners can help plug the gaps identified.
CDE Third Social Report Card – Key Findings
To date, CDE has 376 volunteers, both FDWs and non-FDWs who function as the eyes and ears on the ground, helping to reach out to a larger community of FDWs to create awareness of CDE and the work that they do.
Taking in feedback from FDWs, CDE has also set out to recruit fourteen merchant partners to bring in specially curated benefits under the CDE membership programme to assist FDWs to stretch their dollar on frequently used services. Their recent partnership with POSB on the Payroll accounts enabled FDWs to set up a POSB account to easily manage their monthly salary and make cashless payments and remittances. CDE is also working with Singtel to provide affordable telecommunication services. Newly arrived FDWs can get a free $2 prepaid SIM card with 500MB data to stay connected to their loved ones.
Figures below also show more FDWs turning to CDE for assistance, further highlighting the importance for CDE to forge more partnerships to be better equipped in helping these FDWs.
The increase in the total number of cases CDE handled could be attributed to the roll out of the POSB Payroll account. More FDWs were approaching CDE for assistance to further understand more on this initiative and to also request for assistance in applying for a card.
(Through CDE’s outreach initiatives, there is now an increase in awareness of the assistance CDE can offer and more FDWs are turning to CDE in times of need. Due to this, CDE has also ramped up capacity in their shelter to better care for FDWs who are without employment for a period.
Although CDE has been actively working with different partners, the findings and survey results from CDE’s third social report card highlighted the areas that CDE can further strengthen to better support our FDWs:
i. Collaborate with new partners and organisations that have the expertise to provide FDWs with holistic services and render support to those in unfavourable conditions.
ii. Better ensure that FDWs are adequately skilled before their deployment. It has been observed that there were discrepancies in expectations with 98.7% of FDSWs claiming they are adequately trained before deployment as compared to only 53.9% of employees thinking likewise.
New Strategic Partnerships – Memorandum of Understanding Signing
With the gaps mentioned above, CDE has worked in recruiting new partners whom they can collaborate with and work out initiatives to enable them to better serve the community of domestic employees in Singapore.
iii. Singapore Red Cross Society (SRC) – Last-Mile Assistance Support
CDE is in the early stages of discussion with SRC to see how to work together to aid injured FDWs who need medical attention during the repatriation journey. SRC can leverage its extensive network in Southeast Asia, via the National Red Cross Red Crescent Societies in the region, to ensure injured FDWs get back home safely.
Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General/Chief Executive Director of Singapore Red Cross said, "This partnership allows Singapore Red Cross to extend its humanitarian services to communities beyond the elderly, needy and the disabled whom we now serve. We are delighted to collaborate with CDE to reach out to and assist foreign domestic workers facing various challenges. We will leverage on our expertise in first aid training and eldercare, and our close ties with the network of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other partners in the region, to extend our services to these workers."
iv. NTUC LearningHub – Training
CDE and NTUC LearningHub have co-developed the Assessment-Only-Pathway skills certification framework. Not only will this help ensure FDWs can perform their duties effectively upon deployment regardless of the level of training they have had, it will also enhance the employability of FDWs who have undergone the assessment framework.
v. Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) – Volunteering
With increased feedback from FDWs stating that they will like to do more volunteering and spend their time meaningfully, CDE worked with APSN Centre for Adults so FDWs can get the chance to interact with their trainees and guide them in one of their training programmes such as the simple packing of items and general cleaning.
vi. The Salvation Army – Providing engagement support to shelter residents
To enhance the engagement activities and programmes at CDE’s shelter, CDE will be working with The Salvation Army (TSA), to explore how to bring value-added activities and programmes for the benefit of the residents and keep them meaningfully engaged during their stay with CDE.
Mr Marcus Moo, Director, Social & Community Services (Singapore) & Social Justice Coordinator from The Salvation Army said, “The Salvation Army believes in caring for foreign domestic workers, some of whom are mothers, who have sacrificed much to come into Singapore but are caught in challenging circumstances. We are grateful to CDE for granting us this partnership opportunity to engage them in a positive and meaningful way."
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Chairman, CDE said, “We have evolved the way we care for our domestic employees to ensure that their overall well-being and employment rights are better taken care of. CDE believes that with our new strategic partners on board, and with the partnerships we had built up with others over the years, all of us will have the means to go the extra mile in enhancing help for domestic employees working in Singapore. Going forward, we will seek to work with more partners with the well-being of our FDWs in mind”
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