It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

First there was the fine, cool, breezy evening. A walk around a lovely neighbourhood with children playing and people walking around, saying hi to each other. There were smiles and laughter, as well as long gazes and busy kitchens. A lazy day in paradise, almost. Except that paradise was lost, and a migrant worker was to be taken home, not with money or riches, but with fourth degree cancer that had crept into almost all of her body, so much so that she could not sit up or lie down on her back.

 

From paradise, the following dive into reality showed the difficulties of life beyond the rose-coloured view a few hours before. A revelation of how life in the man-eat-man world would be like, with people passing off poison as fresh seafood, and everyone desperately scrounging for a piece of the marketplace until there are no buyers, only sellers.

Then there was the wait. And more waiting. The waiting which would not finish so quickly, as an evening of waiting turned into a night of quiet pensiveness. An assortment of characters played into the spotlight, including a family with young child, an impatient driver and the car's owner, as well as a mirror. The migrant worker, her aunt, a nurse, and an ambulance complete with driver and morphine completes the picture, though thankfully the morphine was never used.

The Short Form

the.light.in.the.dark by =JeanFan

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The number of deported or returning migrant workers can reach 28,000 per month, of which 3,000 are in need of caritative help of various forms, including mental and medical aid.

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It's almost impossible to avoid the phenomenon that is shaking up the Catholic world, which is the news trailing in the wake of Pope Francis. It is highly probable to use phrases like "tectonic-shift" or "re-awakening" to describe it, as well as completely un-complimentary ones. What is evident is that great forces are getting into motion, and at the moment, they are the sum of many individual and highly personal reactions. The second wave could very well be the reforms which are hoped for within the Vatican - but that might not have as big and immediate an impact on the non-Catholic world as the phenomenon of the first wave. 

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Subi (not her real name) was a victim. She travelled to a foreign country, and worked illegally, using forged identity and travel documents. Technically, she's a victim of breached legal conventions by the employment agency who sent her off. On another level, she's also the victim of circumstances of how her life story was scripted by forces beyond her control.

One of those forces or dynamics is the malaise striking the various rural communities. This malaise is not just economic, but also social, in the sense of the intelligence, wisdom, and direction of the community at large. A large part of this malaise is driven by political will, as programmes are driven by central or lofty government apparatus.

But does she have to remain a victim? Think about it. Do we continue to regard her as a victim? I question whether we have really gone beyond the very first impression we have of her. The crime was done - it is over. Don' t relive it for her, don't carry it for her.

Instead, help her to survive. Help her to live. Help her to make headway in life. There's no better way to move forward than to move forward. That message was brought home to me today, as I watched how a true lady, once free of the burdens and shackles of burns, and broken skin, spread her wings and showed the world that she is strong, quick, helpful, attentive - all within 24 hours of being discharged from the hospital. Though she was a victim, she is not one any more - so don't force her becme a victim all over again.

 

Ina: Remaja Tegar Korban Trafficking

Happy Spring Festivel

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Bagi mereka, orang-orang terbuang, harapan akan kehidupan yang lebih baik di hari mendatang menjadi sumber kekuatan untuk melanjutkan hidup. Kesadaran bahwa hidup harus berlanjut baik itu demi diri sendiri, maupun demi keluarga, merupakan sebuah titik tolak yang baik untuk kemudian berserah diri kepada Pencipta.

Sahabat Insan menjumpai seorang remaja putri bernama Ina di Shelter pada hari Sabtu, 5 April 2013. Usia Ina masih sangat belia yaitu 18 tahun. Usia remaja yang seharusnya sedang senang-senangnya bergaul dan belajar dengan teman-teman sebayanya di bangku sekolah menengah atas. Nyaris dua tahun dia bekerja di Arab Saudi ketika usianya baru 16 tahun. Dia bekerja karena ingin membantu perekonomian keluarganya di Sukabumi. Dokumen-dokumen Ina dipalsukan, dia pun telah menjadi salah satu korban perdagangan anak—karena usianya masih di bawah umur ketika bekerja. Negara tujuan tempat dia bekerja pun merupakan negara yang dilarang untuk mengirim pekerja migran.