Over 70,000 in migrant community participated in International Migrants Day celebrations organised by MOM and partners
To celebrate International Migrants Day (IMD) on 18 December 2023, the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group collaborated with more than 100 partners1 to organise a series of activities for migrant workers (MWs) and migrant domestic workers (MDWs) throughout the month of December. To date, over 70,000 MWs and MDWs have participated in these island-wide celebrations.
2 This year, MOM partnered three key non-governmental organisations (NGOs), namely Hope Initiative Alliance (HIA), Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) and The Salvation Army (TSA), to organise a range of activities for the migrant community. About 60 new partners and NGOs, such as F-FRY, Singapore Red Cross Society, Radha Exports and Singtel, also came onboard.
3 IMD 2023 celebrations are organised along three key pillars of actions to: (i) raise awareness of the migrant community’s contributions, (ii) build public appreciation for the migrant community; and (iii) foster connections between Singaporeans and the migrant community.
Bringing migrant workers and local communities together through food
4 The theme for this year’s celebrations revolves around food, which our migrant community brings from their countries and cultures when they come to work and live in Singapore. Our Migrants’ Kitchen, a recipe book featuring 18 different recipes from our MWs and MDWs in Singapore, was launched on 4 December, together with an exhibition at Our Tampines Hub between 4 and 10 December. The book and exhibition featured stories and aspirations behind the recipes, which gave insight into the migrant community’s rich culinary traditions and cultures. The exhibition drew more than 3,000 visitors with over 500 notes of appreciation and gratitude penned by the public for the migrant community.
5 The Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) and TSA also worked together to organise a carnival at Gardens by the Bay on 10 December. The event, attended by over 1,000 MDWs and their employers, included the launch of CDE's digital cookbook titled Flavours in Harmony. This cookbook comprises over 40 recipes contributed by MDWs and their employers.
6 In the lead up to IMD, members of the public were also invited to take part in several food and cultural initiatives spearheaded by our partners. These activities included makan sessions organised by HIA and TSA involving Singaporeans and MWs, as well as cooking classes organised by Tampines grassroots volunteers for Tampines residents and MWs. MWs from Westlite Woodlands dormitory also participated in a cook-off with students from Republic Polytechnic’s School of Hospitality.
Celebratory event in Little India draws over 10,000 migrant workers
7 To bring the celebrations closer to the community, MOM’s ACE Group and MWC organised celebrations at Little India on 17 December. Over 12,000 MWs engaged in cultural activities organised by embassies and associations. They received goodie bags and care packs sponsored by Sian Chay Medical Institution and Singtel. They also enjoyed delicious snacks, such as curry puffs from F-Fry, as well as vadais and samosas from Gayathri Restaurant, which were sponsored by MWC. MWs who attended the celebration were also treated to captivating live performances by popular artistes, such as Senthil G and Rajalakshmi Senthil from India, and Monir Khan from Bangladesh.
8 A diverse range of activities were organised at seven2 Recreation Centres and the dormitories to celebrate IMD. For example, MWs at Cochrane Recreation Centre participated in a cricket tournament, while MWs at Kranji Recreation Centre enjoyed complimentary haircuts and tuina services provided by Sian Chay Medical Institution. MWs at Tuas South Recreation Centre were treated to a carnival organised by HIA and their partners, where they enjoyed mini games, lucky draw and posted appreciation notes on a “gratitude wall”. Dormitories such as Tuas View and Westlite Tuas also held movie screenings for MWs.
9 Together with Brindas 24-7 Restaurant, new F&B partners such as Burger King, Canadian 2 For 1 Pizza, and Flavours in India, have also offered discounts on their food to MWs and MDWs, to show appreciation for our migrant community.
10 “We are heartened by the strong support from our partners in joining us to celebrate International Migrants Day this December. Through our efforts, we want to raise awareness of our migrant community’s contributions to Singapore. Let the spirit of appreciation for our migrant community continue throughout the year!” said Mr Martin Koh, Deputy Chief, ACE Group and Chairman, Organising Committee for the 2023 IMD Celebrations.