Migrant workers' space faces financial hardships
Dibashram, a communal cultural space for migrant workers housed in a little shop house in Little India, is facing operational difficulties due to lack of funding
By Tang Jia Wen
Published 7 August 2019
A home away from home for many migrant workers, Dibashram has been facing financial hardship due to falling profits from its founder’s ventures.
Since its opening in 2011, Dibashram has been a platform whereby migrant workers can gather weekly for cultural group sessions. These sessions serve as a platform for them to express themselves in creative forms such as music and poetry.
The man behind Dibashram, which means Day Shelter in Bengali, is Mr Abdul Khaeer Mohammed Mohsin, 56, who forks out $3,000 of his own savings per month in order to pay for its rent and utilities. Mr Mohsin is the editor of the only local Bengali newspaper, Banglar Kantha, and has also recently opened a Vegetarian restaurant at the shophouse space right below his office. Mr Mohsin also does freelance translation work in order to provide for his family and pay for necessities.
The funds required to run Dibashram are paid for by profits from the paper and restaurant, which have been on a decline in recent months. While the restaurant has not been receiving ample publicity, Banglar Kantha’s revenue had seen a steep decline as a result of losing their largest advertiser, the Ministry of Manpower, in 2016.
Dibashram was almost shut down in 2016 due to a lack of funds, but was saved from closure by an online crowdfunding website. However, Dibashram continues to face financial difficulties to this day.
“For some of the migrant workers, if they don’t participate in any recreational activities on the weekends, they tend to spend their hard-earned money at the casino,” says Mr Mohsin. The idea of being able to provide a platform for migrant workers to meet each other and indulge in Bengali culture was what inspired him to start the centre years ago.
Mr Mohsin is a familiar figure to many migrant workers. Many of them seek help from him when they are embroiled in salary disputes, which usually come about due to worksite injury. Mr Mohsin cites the language barrier to be a major problem, as workers are unable to report cases to the Ministry of Manpower due to their inability to converse and write fluently in English.
Maintenance worker Veeramani Hasan, 38, is one of the many migrant workers whom Mr Mohsin works with. “I enjoy playing and listening to music, which helps me reduce stress and increase happiness,” he says. He attends the cultural group sessions at Dibashram every Sunday evening to play traditional music with fellow migrant workers.
“It would be a pity if Dibashram has to cease operations due to funding,” says Monique Sin Siok Teng, 19, a student who has attended the weekly Dibashram cultural group sessions. “For some of them, Sunday is the only time of the week that they get to indulge in recreational activities. It is important that they feel a sense of community and are able to reach out to others,” she added.
Moving forward, Mr Mohsin is aware of the challenges that await, but remains undaunted. “Somebody must do this for society to uphold our Bengali culture, and also give voice to the voiceless migrant workers,” he says.
