In viral campaign, Preetipls raises over $140k for migrant workers in S'pore affected by Covid-19

While other social media influencers may be busy preening themselves for on fleek work from home looks on Instagram, Preeti Nair (better known by her moniker Preetipls), has successfully raised over $100,000 to alleviate the coronavirus-induced plight of the migrant community in Singapore. 

As of writing, a crowdfunding campaign for non-governmental organisations Health Serve and Transient Workers Count 2 (TWC2) has garnered over $141,000 in funds, well over the initial goal of $100,000. 

The money will go towards helping Singapore’s migrant workers, who are particularly vulnerable during the ongoing pandemic. While the government has assured to cover the wages and costs of living for around 20,000 workers currently quarantined in their dormitories, the campaign seeks to help out the rest of the community who may not be as fortunate to receive state support. 

The ongoing campaign is being fronted by Preeti, who posted a video yesterday (April 8) to speak about the issues faced by foreign workers here and the NGOs that have been addressing their needs. 

“This video needs to do more than raise awareness, spark conversations, or bring ‘light’ to the situation at hand,” she says, encouraging people to “understand the reality of what’s happening right now to the migrant workers in Singapore”. 

Preeti is aided by the community activist collective Utopia, which counts rapper Subhas Nair, Preeti’s brother, as a member. This wouldn’t be the first time Subhas has contributed to the cause for the nation’s migrant workers — last year, he collaborated with Migrants Band Singapore to pen the song ‘Utopia’ as part of a CNA musical documentary. Before he was unceremoniously dropped, that is. 

The controversy over their satirical music video against actor Dennis Chew’s brownface affair suddenly doesn’t seem as important now. 

Since the launch of the campaign on GiveAsia, more than 2,000 donors have generously chipped in to the efforts, with some even contributing $1,000 each. HealthServe and TWC2 will put the money towards current and future initiatives that will meet the growing needs of the migrant community during the course of the coronavirus outbreak. 

“This has been an unprecedented time that has amplified systemic inequalities that already exist in our society, and we hope that this campaign will open up conversations about them,” the campaign’s description read. 

“At the same time, it has also brought out the best of community efforts and solidarity.” 

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While low-wage migrant workers make up about one-sixth of Singapore’s entire population, they form the majority of the country’s manual labour workforce in the construction industry. Housed in dormitories, they share sleeping quarters with up to 20 men in each room. Their living conditions are reportedly dreadful, and are being exacerbated by an instituted quarantine that prevents workers from leaving the premises of two dormitories for 14 days. 

TWC2, in particular, are focused on helping the quarantined workers get access to mobile data so that they can contact and reassure their loved ones.

“Workers tell us they get goodie bags containing masks, sanitisers and what not all the time. But what they don’t get and really want are top-up cards that let them call home or buy data plans,” TWC2 General Manager Ethan Guo told AsiaOne. 

“Some workers don’t even have the basic balance in their cards to receive phone calls, much less make one. Therefore we saw a very real need to provide this service.”

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

ilyas@asiaone.com