Resources from Migrant Workers to Migrant Workers

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Stevi Yean Marie (right) dan Siti Mariam.

Siti Mariam is a former migrant worker. She knows that most migrant workers do not habitually read, let alone read the documents related to working overseas. As a result, many of them often face problems. Siti and her husband, Stevi Yean Marie, are addressing the problem through a literacy and economic empowerment movement.

Siti Mariam, 52, was a businesswoman who owned four kiosks at Wonosobo Market. Her life turned upside down after a fire in 1995 destroyed all her kiosks. She had lost her source of income, and so the following year she went to Hong Kong. Working as a migrant worker was the fastest way for Siti to earn money. Some of the money was used to repay debts and losses caused by the fire, amounting to Rp 20 million.

She relocated to Taiwan for some time and later returned to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, she and fellow domestic helpers joined a literary group. From that, her hobby of writing since her junior high school years grew. She wrote a few short stories that were published in Indonesian-language newspapers in Hong Kong. She also wrote poems that she posted on her private blog.

In 2005, Siti decided to go home to Lipursari village, Leksono district, Wonosobo regency, Central Java, because her children wanted their mother to stop being a migrant worker. In the village, Siti tried to start a small business but it did not work.

Amid her hard life in the village, Siti remembered her writing activities in Hong Kong. She wanted to open a library. She realized her dream in 2006. She opened a small library with 50 books donated by friends and her boss in Hong Kong.

In 2007, Siti married Stevi Yean Marie, 41, whom she met at an airport in 2002 and at some literacy events. Later, Stevi took part in developing the library. The library was named Istana Rumbia and it became a center of activity for migrant workers and their families.

From the beginning, Siti and Stevi targeted migrant workers and their families to make use of the library because there were many migrant workers who originated from Wonosobo. One of the big migrant worker pockets is Lipursari village. There are 140 migrant workers in the village.

Literacy of migrant workers

With the help of Stevi, Siti was persistent in encouraging the migrant workers to boost their literacy skills because Siti knew the migrant workers did not habitually read, including reading documents related to working overseas.

“Because of the rush to earn money overseas, migrant workers often ignore crucial things. As long as they can work overseas, they don\'t care if PJTKI [the agency] falsifies data in documents, such as age and name,” Siti said.

Siti had encountered a similar thing. The name on her document to go to Hong Kong for work was not hers.

Aside from encouraging migrant workers to visit the library and read, Siti also organizes group meetings with them once a month. During the meetings, the migrant workers share the information they get from seminars, the internet or the migrant workers organization.

Once a year Siti and Stevi organize Gebyar Literasi, a literacy festival of which one of the activities is a quiz for migrant workers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

In the quiz, which is held in collaboration with the manpower office in Wonosobo, the questions center on the rights and obligations of migrant workers, requirements for working overseas and rules and regulations. The participants need to give answers in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.

Initially, only migrant workers from Wonosobo regency participated in the quiz. Now, participants are growing. Once, migrant workers from 12 regencies participated.

Siti and Stevi also started cooking class three years ago. The number of migrant workers and ex-migrant workers who have participated in cooking classes so far has reached 500 people. Siti and Stevi hope the skill can be a source of income for migrant workers who return home with the intention of starting a new life.

Children of migrant workers

Siti and Stevi also target the children of migrant workers. Both of them actively invite the children to visit Istana Rumbia and enjoy the library\'s around 7,000 books.

In order to lure children and encourage them to read, Siti and Stevi started offering gifts. Children who came with stories of their own were given writing tools.

It worked. The children came and read books. Children from nearby villages also came to Istana Rumbia.

Realizing the enthusiasm of the children, Siti and Stevi invited nearby schools to make use of Istana Rumbia as part of school activities, such as for exercises in story writing.

Every weekend and public holiday, Siti also offers free computer, English, Cantonese and Mandarin lessons. The mentors are ex-migrant workers.

Stevi said all these activities will hopefully make the children of migrant workers aware that if they are well educated, they can work in any profession they choose. “The children of migrant workers should not follow in the footsteps of their parents,” Stevi said.

The literacy movement by Siti and Stevi is being introduced in other regions. Currently, they supervise activities in six villages to start small libraries. Siti and Stevi donated around 100 books to each library. They believe through literacy, people\'s futures will be brighter.

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Siti Mariam

Siti Mariam

Born: Wonosobo,  April 28, 1966

Husband: Stevi Yean Marie

Education: SMA  state high school Wonosobo

Job/activity: Chairperson of Buruh Migran Wonosobo; Secretary of Lipursari Village Consultative Board

KOMPAS/REGINA RUKMORINI

Stevi Yean Marie

Stevi Yean Marie

Born: Balikpapan, June 12, 1977

Education: Philosophy, Gadjah Mada University