Today we turn the spotlight on Uplifters’ team leader Haidee Roiles. 

“I am from Cebu, Philippines. I finished my Dare to Dream Course in February 2020 and completed the Become a Leader Course in July 2020.  I have been working in Singapore for almost four years. It is my first time to work abroad away from my loved ones back home. 

When I was young, I was full of aspirations and did my best in making them come true. But I have encountered many obstacles and challenges. I lost track of how I could achieve my dreams and l made mistakes that changed the direction of my life. I had a family at 19 years old, which was difficult. I worked in call centres and a semiconductor electronics firm but none of it went well. I decided to come to Singapore to turn my life around and work as a domestic worker, not even knowing how much work it would be. Thankfully, my employers are kind and patiently taught me how to run the household. I won’t say it was a smooth journey; I am learning from the challenges I faced. 

Uplifters helped me a lot more than I anticipated. I signed up for their free online course when I saw their ad on Facebook with Uplifters’ team leader Janelyn Dupingay. I’ve known her on various platforms here in Singapore. I also took a Caregivers  Course at Aims Learning International School,  a six month instructional and interactive class, and 56 hours of volunteering in the Home for the Aged. I made it to the first rank amongst 68 aspiring fellow migrants too.

Being a team leader makes me happy and excited about facilitating the class chat. We learn together, we share real-life experiences, and we motivate each other to achieve our goals.  Listening to their own stories is very empowering for me. It is my way of giving back to others by uplifting them and by being there for them. 

I feel a sense of belonging in this community. The camaraderie and teamwork are overwhelming. There is the spirit of togetherness and the strong motivation to support each other. Learning and growing every day together in the spectrum of our virtual bond feels like home, and I feel a change within myself. The people who know me saw changes in me. I became more confident to speak up for my rights. I open up more about my thoughts and feelings. I became more focused and have developed a habit of doing things I love to do, like continuing to be a team leader in this community to be able to touch and make footprints in their lives. I have also been able to share and write literary pieces in various platforms for migrants, such as  Migrant Writers of Singapore, and also sharing my writings in Hong Kong through a migrants’ community named Horizons. We never know of the positive impact when they hear the messages of our compositions.

My humble advice to my fellow domestic workers is to be brave when facing challenges. Always carry your dreams with you. We came this far with little hope, initially a step forward to give our loved ones a promising future, that’s our main goal of coming to a foreign land.  Don’t get lost along the way of chasing your dreams. Find it deep in your heart. Believe. Become what you wish. I’d like to share my favourite quotes: “Life isn’t about finding yourself; life is about creating yourself” by George Bernard Shaw and “Dream, Believe, Become.”

My heartfelt gratitude to our Uplifters Community, thank you for this opportunity that you gave me, as a medium of touching and moving my life to the path of enlightenment, personal growth and money management insights. I find this very useful and meaningful in the tricky process of reaching our goals. Kudos to all of you. Long live Uplifters. Spread Love.”