Dear Employer,
We want to introduce you to Taspiya. You’ve probably never even heard of her, but you know her father well. His name is Mohamed Ismail, and nearly two years ago, he came to Singapore to work for you.
We’re sure you know that Ismail paid a lot of money in order to secure the job. $9,000. That’s more than three years’ salary in Bangladesh. He never told you this, but he sold land and took on debt, hoping that by working hard for you, he’d be able to give his family a better life.
We don’t know how much of the $9,000 you got, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you made a commitment, when you hired him, to feed him three square meals a day, give him decent housing, provide regular work, and pay his salary on time.
And you didn’t.
And now you’ve sent him home. And he’s finding it hard to face his little girl.
You would feel like shit too, wouldn’t you? If you had to tell her she’s not going to get that new school uniform, or that you can’t really afford to put food on the table, let alone pay her school fees?
She’s doing well at school, you know? Her mother says she’s a bright girl.
Look at her. Can you look at her? You owe her an explanation. You need to tell her why loan sharks are after her father, why her mother cries all the time, why her future’s in jeopardy.
