“These are my two sons. The one in red, Kim, is the elder one and the one in white is Jeron. I carry them everywhere. So if I change bags, I have to take this out and put it in another bag. This is how I carry my family along with me always, wherever I go”

“Actually, I really don’t like cats. But then Oreo came into our life. At first, I just ignore him, but my boss’ eldest daughter will bring me to the cat and ask me to pet the cat. After that Oreo will always come looking for me, she’ll come and rub against my leg. Then I start to love the cat, she’s such a sweet cat. She’s really part of the family now. When everyone goes to work, Oreo is still around with me the whole day. That’s why I always say, now I have a partner.”

“When I first came here, I didn’t eat any spicy food. Everyday I eat chicken rice only. But now I really love the nasi lemak, the spicy sambal, and I can take it with more spice than my lady boss. Now, I also cook Malaysian food for my family back home. The other day I spoke to my son, he asked me to bring back chicken curry paste, he wants me cook it for him when I get home.”

This six-part video series and photo essays were produced under a collaboration between R.AGE and the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Migrant Workers’ Empowerment and Advocacy (MWEA) Project. The MWEA Project is funded by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL-28099-15-75-K-11.
This material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government. 100% percentage of the total costs of this project or program is financed with Federal funds, for a total of 26,322.61 dollars.