Klook, SingLand bring National Day fun to migrant workers

[SINGAPORE] Although MD Riju Mia has been working in Singapore for four years, he has not had many opportunities to explore local attractions. Hailing from Bangladesh, Mia currently works as a safety coordinator for a PaxOcean yard.

However, he enjoyed a day out to Madame Tussauds Singapore on Sunday (Aug 16) along with 27 other migrant workers, as part of Klook’s initiative with ItsRainingRaincoats called Make a Memory, Gift a Memory. 

At Madame Tussauds, Mia explored the many zones in the museum showcasing wax figures of movie and pop stars, political leaders and athletes, as well as an immersive display covering around 200 years of Singapore’s history.

“I was drawn by the exciting displays and the chance to learn more about Singapore’s history, its leaders and the global icons featured here, from BTS to 4D characters. It’s been a fun and refreshing experience for us. Sometimes we need to relax, take a break and recharge,” he said, adding that he would be keen on attending more events like this.

Through Klook’s Make a Memory, Gift a Memory initiative, Singaporeans can use their SG Culture Pass credits during the month of August to book from nine experiences on the platform, including Madame Tussauds, a river cruise and hawker experience.

For every eligible booking made, Klook will provide a matching experience for more than 250 migrant workers through its partnership with ItsRainingRaincoats, a charity focused on migrant workers.

Jeanette Ong, associate director of marketing at Klook Singapore, said: “Through the initiative, we hope to make local culture and experiences more accessible, while allowing migrant workers to explore and enjoy the city.”

She added that National Day has been an “important opportunity” for Singaporeans to recognise their contributions to the country’s landscape.

“The idea (for the initiative) came from the observation that for many migrant workers, life in Singapore can revolve solely around work. They work long hours, often prioritising sending as much as they can back to their families, and their days can become a cycle of working, resting and returning to work,” she said.

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Klook has had an ongoing partnership with ItsRainingRaincoats since 2021, working on initiatives to grant migrant workers experiences and opportunities in Singapore.

Building connections with the Singaporean community

To celebrate National Day, Singapore Land Group (SingLand) rallied its employees, migrant workers and youth for a day of bowling at Temasek Club. About 40 migrant workers, 40 SingLand employee volunteers, 10 former Ray of Hope beneficiaries and 10 youth volunteers from Impart attended the event on Sunday.

Heng Chin Hong, head of sustainability and product development at SingLand, said: “Drawing on Ray of Hope’s regular engagements with migrant workers across Singapore, we learnt that sports such as bowling and cricket are particularly popular with the community.

“We felt that bowling would be an accessible way to bring migrant workers, youths and SingLand volunteers together, allowing everyone to participate.”

One Indian migrant worker who participated, Durairaj Manikandan, said he had fun bowling and interacting with the volunteers and their children. 

“For this event, I liked the community connection the most and got to know Singaporeans better. (What was) especially heartwarming to me was that the SingLand volunteers asked about my family, and they also shared with me more about their family too,” said Manikandan, who has two children and works in construction.

SingLand started supporting migrant workers five years ago during Covid, when its employees facilitated virtual English lessons for them. Post-pandemic, they also conducted grocery shopping sessions with beneficiaries.

“This year, we wanted employees to have more direct engagement and interaction with the migrant community and saw sport with its emphasis on teamwork and sportsmanship as a meaningful way to do so,” Heng said.

Ray of Hope is a grantee partner of The Majurity Trust, which is partnering SingLand for the second year in a row.

Heng added: “Migrant workers are an integral part of Singapore and contribute across sectors that are fundamental to our economy, including construction, marine and manufacturing. Their contribution also resonates closely with us as a company in the built environment sector.”

Migrant workers are one of the key communities that SingLand Elevates supports, along with vulnerable elderly, persons with disabilities and youth at risk. Since its launch in 2022, this social sustainability initiative has contributed more than S$4 million to these causes.