In celebration of Singapore’s 56th Anniversary, the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach (AGWO)—a movement of Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA)—organised “The Road Ahead... Together” a special National Day celebration to honour and appreciate the contribution of our guest workers and foreign domestic workers to Singapore. This special virtual show was streamed live on AGWO’s Facebook Page (AGWOSG) and YouTube Channel (Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach) on 8 August at 8pm. The event was in partnership with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Project Dorm and was supported by Cochrane Recreation Centre (RC), Tuas South RC, Kranji RC, Penjuru RC, and Terusan RC.
There were special performances by Anthem of Hearts—a band that has performed in prestigious venues and programmes such as Vasantham's Nenjukullae in 2017 and Pradhana Vizha. Awlad—who has been popular with his electrifying Bengali songs amongst the guest worker community—who also collaborated with the Anthem of Hearts. There were also exciting and interactive dance performances by Yaar Panj-Aab Bhangra Troupe—a group of young Bhangra dancers coming together to show a fusion of rich Bhangra culture with innovative modern dance moves. Rhythms Aesthetic Society also performed an interpretative dance number—a group of dancers that staged Krishna Guruvayoorappa, His Mystical Journey, a prestigious theatre production at Victoria Theatre.
Mr Ezekiel Tan, President of Hope Initiative Alliance said, “The pandemic has affected many of the guest workers. They feel homesick and also miss gathering with their friends in Singapore, owing to the health and safety protocols. Through this event, we hope that such a gesture of care towards them would bring them some much-needed cheer.”
Mr Samuel Gift Stephen, Lead Director of the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach, also shared, “It is also a way to appreciate the sacrifice of our guest workers, who have made such invaluable contributions to Singapore, and to recognise their courage, strength, and resilience.”
“As we celebrate our National Day, we want to acknowledge and recognise the contributions of our migrant workers who have helped to build and develop our country. We would like to thank our community partners AGWO and HIA for organising this show to bring our National Day celebrations and cheer to our migrant worker friends,” said Mr Tung Yui Fai, Chief of the Assurance, Care and Engagement Group (ACE) from the Ministry of Manpower.
There was a lucky draw by AGWO, where registrants—who registered by 1 August—stood a chance to win $3000 worth of cash prizes. The Ministry of Manpower also partnered with Singtel to organise a contest for our guest-worker brothers to design a greeting card that depicts what the Singapore Spirit means to them. The winners of the contest were revealed during the show. In addition, there were also special appearances by some of the guest-worker brothers who wished Singapore a happy birthday in their native language.
AGWO also organised a weekly donation drive, supported by Dorm Mums—a dedicated group of female volunteers who have been taking care of the well-being of our brothers tirelessly. As part of this initiative, AGWO had a three-day cupcake distribution exercise for 8,000 guest workers during the National Day celebration. During the school holiday, 6,800 goodies were also baked and delivered to 50 dormitories.
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