Group sets domestic helpers on right path
Established six years ago, PathFinders offers shelter and advice to help maids, mostly Indonesians, overcome a range of problems
About a year has passed, yet Carmen Lam still remembers clearly the desperation that Indonesian domestic helper Mary displayed when she sought help from PathFinders.
"She found out she was pregnant, but the boyfriend had abandoned her. Then she was homeless with the newborn baby. That was the time when she came to us to seek help," said Lam, senior programme manager at PathFinders.
The NGO was founded in 2008 to raise awareness of migrant workers' rights and educate them on employment rights, family planning, pregnancy and health.
The organisation has two shelters for helpers who need a temporary place to stay. It has already helped more than 2,000 migrants since it was established six years ago.
Lam said that when Mary -not her real name - sought help from PathFinders, the helper was "so scared".
"She had no support from anyone because nobody knew about her pregnancy. The baby had rashes. We provided shelter for her and her baby," Lam said.