Online courses for domestic workers
Brighter Financial Futures
Empowering migrant domestic workers to build more sustainable financial futures through free online courses and community support in Hong Kong and Singapore
- FREE for all migrant domestic workers
- No laptop needed, students can use their phones
- 2 to 3-week online courses – about 30 minutes per day
- Fully online and flexible: lessons are available anytime, they are self-paced and there are no meetings to attend
Students will learn to use practical, safe money-management skills and explore simple steps toward micro-entrepreneurship.
Building on Uplifters’ free online financial literacy courses—we are delighted to launch a new programme in January 2026, Brighter Financial Futures. This initiative, developed in partnership with Aflatoun and generously funded by Sun Life, combines community support with digital accessibility through a scalable, hybrid model. Uplifters serves as the local implementation partner in Hong Kong and Singapore, contributing to the wider regional programme led by Aflatoun. Further details on the overall regional initiative can be found here.
Our contributioN
Since our inception, over 10,000 participants have learned to manage their finances successfully at Uplifters and apply valuable life skills from our online courses. Starting in December 2025, this new programme will offer access to three Uplifters free online financial literacy courses, providing continued support for migrant domestic workers at every stage of their employment journey:
Before starting or while working
Learn essential financial skills before beginning your journey with the course “Protect Your Dreams, Protect Your Money”, with an emphasis on understanding loans and avoiding scams, available in English
While working
Strengthen your financial skills while employed with the course “Dare to Dream”; Uplifters’ signature course on money management, personal growth, and mental well-being, available in English and Bahasa Indonesia
Prepare to return
Prepare for your next chapter with the course “Start a Small Business in the Philippines”, available in English
Detailed Curriculum
This programme includes 3 fully online courses that students complete on their own schedule.
Dare to Dream
Uplifters’ flagship online course for migrant domestic workers. 25-hour (over 3 weeks).
- Helps students build financial stability, personal growth, and emotional resilience
- Covers budgeting, savings, loans, communication, self care, and goal setting
- Participants are guided by more experienced peers through daily interactions, challenges, and simple rituals
- Creates a supportive and empowering learning environment
- Focuses on peer support, positive habits, and long term planning
Protect Your Dreams, Protect Your Money
A 6-hour online course (over 2 weeks) for migrant domestic workers and their families. Co-designed with Sheetal Sarup, an expert in migrant domestic worker loan-related issues.
- Helps set realistic expectations to reduce pressure, debt, and scams
- Covers the real challenges of migration: homesickness, guilt, family pressure, and limited income
- Prompts important conversations with family about salary, loans, remittances, and priorities
- Teaches how loans work, common reasons for borrowing, and how to avoid debt traps
- Explains risky lenders, hidden fees, online loan dangers, and key loan terms to understand
- Recognise and avoid common scams, including money laundering, investment scams, job scams, and romance scams
- Includes simple safety tools, real stories, quizzes, and a “Smarter Than a Scammer” checklist
Start a Small Business in the Philippines
A 10-hour online course (over 3 weeks) for migrant domestic workers and their families.
- A simple online course to help Filipino migrant workers plan a small business back home
- Designed with Philippine culture, traditions, and community norms in mind
- Teaches how to choose the right business idea and avoid risky MLM schemes
- Uses familiar examples like sari sari stores, pig farms, food stalls, and home cooking
- Builds a learning mindset: start small, test, learn, and improve
- Covers money basics: start up costs, funding, loans, profit, and cash flow
- Guidance on permits, barangay requirements, marketing, and insurance
- Available upon completion of “Protect your Dreams, Protect your Money” and “Dare to Dream”
Your financial future starts here – wherever you are in your journey
Our students Are making their dreams come true
Our students all have something in common: their passion to make change happen in their lives.
Maylene M.
I joined Uplifters because I wanted to save money but I also wanted to make friends. It was great to be able to support each other during the course, great to hear about different people’s experiences and great to share ways to change things from negative to positive.
Nelie N.
I had been working for 6 years in Singapore but had nothing to show for it. In just one year after I joined Uplifters, I started building a house in the Philippines. I don’t have a weekly day off to attend face to face classes so Uplifters was a unique opportunity.
Catherine A.
I came to Hong Kong two years ago and I was struggling to save money. I’ve joined other classes before and they’re almost the same but Uplifters has had the most positive impact on me as I was able to put my learnings into action.
Ayu C.
hat is unique about Uplifters is that there are chats in the online classes where students can share their difficulties and motivate each other without fear of being judged.
Evelyn O.
Thanks to Uplifters I’ve finally learnt to say ‘No’ in a nice but effective way. My kids now understand the value of money and the importance of savings.
Freda P.
Before Uplifters, I was easily discouraged and thought I was not brave enough to face life. However one story from the Dare to Dream course inspired me to stop listening to negative criticism from other people.
The course helped me learn how to manage my money well and say no to people in a nice way.
Janelyn D.
In Uplifters, I found my purpose and that is to be an instrument to make a change in the lives of foreign domestic workers. It is satisfying to know that I am part of how these students find their own self, dreaming and working towards achieving their goals. I love what I am doing right now and I will continue to give back to the community that impacted me deeply.
FAQ
Only an internet connection and a mobile phone are needed to participate. Students access lessons on a learning platform via the same login used to register. If you are already a registered student, you can contact the team on WhatsApp +852 +852 9731 9713 on how to access.
Course dates are announced on our Facebook page, with a link to join. Our courses are self-paced. This means students can learn whenever they have time, without any scheduled meeting times.
It’s 100% online. We encourage students to join optional club meetings with fellow students on their days off to meet classmates “in real life”. It’s a great way to make friends and discuss lessons!
Basic English is enough to start, and this course will also help improve your English skills! Our signature course, Dare to Dream, covering money management and personal development, is available in English and Bahasa Indonesia. We are in the process of translating other programme materials into more languages, beginning with Bahasa Indonesia.
All the lessons take place in an online classroom, but students don’t study alone. A Team Leader, who is also a trained domestic worker herself, will invite new students to join a chat group. The class interacts and learns together, led by the Team Leader who has completed the course. Each group chat has a maximum of 20 students so that everyone can join in and feel comfortable asking questions. You can mute the class chat to avoid being disturbed at work.
Yes! A certificate of completion is issued. Although this is not an official educational certification, accreditation or diploma, it’s something to be very proud of!
UPlifters in numbers
13000+
7,000+
110+
Alumni volunteering to support their peers in our programmes
99%
84%
89%
71%
X2
Feeling happier and rating their general feeling of happiness about their lives 9 out of 10(3)
(1) Online Facebook community Uplift Your Life (2) 1,132 respondents, enrolled in our ‘Prepare for the Future’ programme in 2021 (3) 35 respondents, domestic workers enrolled in our signature programme ‘Prepare for the Future’ in 2021. We compared their answers before taking the module 1 of the programme ‘Dare to Dream’ and 6 months after completing it.
