Help Migrant workers developed their talents
Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan won a literary contest for foreignworkers last month which was sponsored by the Taipei city government (TheJakarta Post, Oct. 2).
The words from one winning piece were; "Please forgive me, time hasburied my longing for your love, and I hope you find true love somewhereelse". This is a sample sentence from a first-prize-winning essay titledKinanthi, which was written by Sri Jumitai, an Indonesian migrant workerin Taiwan.
Anik Krisnawati, another Indonesian migrant worker, won firstprize in the poetry category for her poem titled Happiness Terminal.There are reasons why these works of literature are special and were chosen as winners.First, Sri Junitai and Anik Krisnawati won after beating participantsfrom other countries; migrant workers from the Philippines, Vietnam andThailand.
Second, Kinanthi and Happiness Terminal were two of the best works ofliterature from a total 2,063 pieces submitted to the judging committee.After a three-stage review process, 20 winners were selected, whichincluded 14 poems and six essays.
The winning pieces were all produced by migrant domestic workers who said they wrote in their leisure and rest time from their daily chores.They did so with limited facilities, too; writing by hand on pieces ofpaper, which they sent to the competition committee. They also founddifficulties in accessing great literature works that could increasetheir knowledge and writing skills.
Their works were based on theirexperiences, either as domestic workers or as women in love.Indonesian migrant workers have had their literary works published innewspapers in both Hong Kong and Indonesia. Some of their pieces haveeven been printed as books, including Nyanyian Imigran (a compilation ofshort stories), Ranting Sakura (a novel), Memoar of Kungyan (written byMaria Bo Niok), Penari Naga Kecil (a compilation of short stories byTarini Sorrita) and Catatan Harian Seorang Pramuwisma (written by RiniWidyawati).How is it that Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong could write suchliterary works? Maybe it is because they work under better conditionsthan Indonesian migrant workers in other countries. Hong Kong foreignlabor regulations are better than those of other governments. One suchregulation is the compulsory day off per week (every Sunday) for migrantworkers in Hong Kong.Migrant workers use the holiday to do their own activities, including toproduce works of literature. There are also some literature communitiesthat have been established by Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong,like: Parantau Nusantara Community, Cafi de Kossta and Forum Lingkar Pena(Hong Kong branch).
The communities each have their own activities and programs.Good literary works have come from these writers and their love for theliterary world. In creating literature, they have found the right placeand media to express their thoughts, wishes and identities.
They can freely express their problems, duties and futures as domestic workers.This kind of activity among migrant workers needs support from allstakeholders, especially the government, which refers to Indonesianmigrant workers as national foreign exchange heroes.What do they need? First, they need better working conditions abroad.This means their workplaces should be free from violence and their rightsshould be adhered to so they can express themselves freely. One of themost important rights is the compulsory day off work every week. As domestic workers, they have the right to a day off duty for rest andleisure time.Second, the government needs to sponsor literary activities and othercultural competitions for Indonesian migrant workers in countries whereIndonesian migrant worker numbers are high, like in Hong Kong, Taiwan,Malaysia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Such activities are very important,as they give workers the opportunity to develop their talent. That way,our workers are not only sent home with their salary but can also showthe world that even housemaids can produce quality literary works.The writer is an alumnus of the Arabic literature department at GadjahMada University and is a former advocacy program coordinator at MigrantCARE in Jakarta. He can be reached at faishol_03@yahoo.com.
The words from one winning piece were; "Please forgive me, time hasburied my longing for your love, and I hope you find true love somewhereelse". This is a sample sentence from a first-prize-winning essay titledKinanthi, which was written by Sri Jumitai, an Indonesian migrant workerin Taiwan.
Anik Krisnawati, another Indonesian migrant worker, won firstprize in the poetry category for her poem titled Happiness Terminal.There are reasons why these works of literature are special and were chosen as winners.First, Sri Junitai and Anik Krisnawati won after beating participantsfrom other countries; migrant workers from the Philippines, Vietnam andThailand.
Second, Kinanthi and Happiness Terminal were two of the best works ofliterature from a total 2,063 pieces submitted to the judging committee.After a three-stage review process, 20 winners were selected, whichincluded 14 poems and six essays.
The winning pieces were all produced by migrant domestic workers who said they wrote in their leisure and rest time from their daily chores.They did so with limited facilities, too; writing by hand on pieces ofpaper, which they sent to the competition committee. They also founddifficulties in accessing great literature works that could increasetheir knowledge and writing skills.
Their works were based on theirexperiences, either as domestic workers or as women in love.Indonesian migrant workers have had their literary works published innewspapers in both Hong Kong and Indonesia. Some of their pieces haveeven been printed as books, including Nyanyian Imigran (a compilation ofshort stories), Ranting Sakura (a novel), Memoar of Kungyan (written byMaria Bo Niok), Penari Naga Kecil (a compilation of short stories byTarini Sorrita) and Catatan Harian Seorang Pramuwisma (written by RiniWidyawati).How is it that Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong could write suchliterary works? Maybe it is because they work under better conditionsthan Indonesian migrant workers in other countries. Hong Kong foreignlabor regulations are better than those of other governments. One suchregulation is the compulsory day off per week (every Sunday) for migrantworkers in Hong Kong.Migrant workers use the holiday to do their own activities, including toproduce works of literature. There are also some literature communitiesthat have been established by Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong,like: Parantau Nusantara Community, Cafi de Kossta and Forum Lingkar Pena(Hong Kong branch).
The communities each have their own activities and programs.Good literary works have come from these writers and their love for theliterary world. In creating literature, they have found the right placeand media to express their thoughts, wishes and identities.
They can freely express their problems, duties and futures as domestic workers.This kind of activity among migrant workers needs support from allstakeholders, especially the government, which refers to Indonesianmigrant workers as national foreign exchange heroes.What do they need? First, they need better working conditions abroad.This means their workplaces should be free from violence and their rightsshould be adhered to so they can express themselves freely. One of themost important rights is the compulsory day off work every week. As domestic workers, they have the right to a day off duty for rest andleisure time.Second, the government needs to sponsor literary activities and othercultural competitions for Indonesian migrant workers in countries whereIndonesian migrant worker numbers are high, like in Hong Kong, Taiwan,Malaysia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Such activities are very important,as they give workers the opportunity to develop their talent. That way,our workers are not only sent home with their salary but can also showthe world that even housemaids can produce quality literary works.The writer is an alumnus of the Arabic literature department at GadjahMada University and is a former advocacy program coordinator at MigrantCARE in Jakarta. He can be reached at faishol_03@yahoo.com.
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