Bangladeshi migrant workers, students are among 24 individuals to be recognized in the 2024 Silent Heroes Awards – BERITA Mediacorp

6th September 2024  •  6 mins read

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SINGAPORE: Empowering migrant workers by providing assistance to navigate their lives in Singapore and encouraging them to serve the community.

Such is one of the noble efforts carried out by Mr. Abdul Karim Sojib, a migrant worker from Bangladesh. Since 2017, he has been actively doing volunteer work with fellow migrant workers, as an effort to help them adapt and make a positive contribution to society in this country. “We don’t have family or friends. Being a volunteer gives us a chance to make friends and spend a good time in Singapore. Doing volunteer work also gives me happiness. So I don’t want to lose that sense of happiness. “After doing the work volunteering, appreciation from people, very kind and very inspiring. After you do something good, when people come up to you, shake hands and say thank you, this is a very happy experience and a very pleasant feeling,” said Mr. Abdul Karim to reporter Syawal Yusoff.

Among the community efforts he supports is fundraising for victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict led by the non-profit organization, Humanity Matters.

With the cooperation of 700 individuals from various backgrounds, including migrant workers, more than S$81,500 was successfully collected.

For Mr. Abdul Karim, 31 years old, who works as a Senior Construction Supervisor, the aspect that most attracts his attention is the unity between the community of migrant workers and local citizens in the effort. “After the fundraiser, I actually felt a strong spirit. Wow, this is a really great collaboration between local people and migrant workers. It’s amazing. After seeing the amount of S$81,000, it’s very inspiring. We only collected a donation of S$1, S$2 , S$5, and S$10. When it’s all counted, it’s a big deal for us and inspires us to do more,” he said.

Currently, he is active in raising funds to help flood victims in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.

Apart from being involved in volunteer work, Mr. Abdul Karim is also active in sharing information with the migrant worker community in Singapore via Facebook.

With over 144,000 followers on the page, he shares a variety of information, including employment regulations, national laws, and tips to help these people adjust in Singapore.

The initiative started from his personal experience when he started working in Singapore a decade ago. “For me personally, getting information was actually very difficult. After that, I started getting information slowly. Then, I tried to share it with my friends. When I shared it with my friends, they were actually very excited. They said, “Wow, this is very good information for us. Every day, many questions are received, and after my work hours, I try to answer them,” he said.

Encik Abdul Karim’s enthusiasm and dedication in improving the quality of life of migrant workers in Singapore is recognized.

He is among the 24 finalists for this year’s Silent Heroes Award.

The 11th edition of the award, organized by the Civil Society of Singapore (CAS) and the ‘Silent Heroes’ movement, recognizes the contributions of individuals who demonstrate kindness and compassion.

“This is actually a very good inspiration for all, not only for me, but for all our brothers. And I am from Bangladesh, this is a very big achievement for me too, because I am a migrant worker. Of course, this is an excellent opportunity to do more for our community and for our brothers,” explained Mr. Abdul Karim who represents the Compassionate Foreigner category.

Lutfil Hadi Muhammad Saiyit – Recipient of the First APEX Award

For the first time, a new category has been introduced to honor students who show great potential in leadership and making positive changes. The category, known as the APEX Silent Heroes Awards, is a continuation of the event held last July, which recognized 53 students.

Among the five recognized students is Lutfil Hadi Muhammad Saiyit from Hua Yi Secondary School.

In addition to actively contributing energy in school events, the Secondary 4 student was also involved as a volunteer at the Military Mosque.

Since 2022, he regularly participates in activities at the mosque, especially during the month of Ramadan and school holiday camps.

“This award increases my motivation and also to do more volunteer work like this. It also attracts young people like me to do this kind of volunteer work,” said Lutfil, the second child of three siblings.

According to Lutfil, his parents are the main motivators who always encourage him and his siblings to serve the community.

In addition to wanting to help the community, Lutfil is also motivated to support animal welfare efforts and the disabled.

Although he has only been a volunteer for two years, Lutfil holds high aspirations to continue to contribute energy to strengthen the Malay community.

“I want to help because of the impact I give to the community. Maybe it’s a small thing I do but it can be a big impact for my community,” said Lutfil.

Lutfil aspires to continue his studies in the field of Electronic Engineering at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) of Kolej Barat next year.

The Silent Heroes Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 7, and will be attended by the guest of honour, the Minister of Health, Ong Ye Kung.

Below is the video coverage by BERITA Mediacorp:

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Published originally from: Bertia Mediacorp

https://berita.mediacorp.sg/singapura/pekerja-hijrahan-bangladesh-pelajar-antara-24-individu-yang-akan-diiktiraf-dalam-anugerah-silent-heroes-2024-875121

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