Creating Hope Among Migrant Workers

Since 1976 a growing number of Sri Lankans have become migrant workers. The leading destination for this migrant labor force has been countries in the Gulf and Middle East.

Labor migration alleviates unemployment among the poorer segments of Sri Lanka’s population. Locally available jobs are mostly poorly paid and temporary, particularly for women. Mr. Ajith Tennakoon, Sewalanka Field Director South, says, “Migrant women say that their families cannot make ends meet on their husbands’ salaries and that migration to the Middle East is their only available economic alternative or option. Family motives for labor migration usually include getting out of debt, buying land, and building a house”.

“Women also state that they would like to support their family’s daily consumption needs, educate their children, and provide dowries for themselves or their daughters”.

In 2003, the Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), the main administrative body regulating labor migration, estimated that 1,003,600 Sri Lankans worked abroad. By 2008, this number had increased to 1,792,368 or 9% of the island’s 20 million people. From late 1980s until 2009, women made up the majority of these labor migrants. They accounted for 75% of the migrant flow in the mid-1990s, and by 2009 declined to a little under 50%. Of the migrant women, 88% went to work as housemaids.

In the context of these statistics, support mechanisms are underway to address the special needs of returnee migrants. This effort is being implemented with a working partnership between Sewalanka and ASB. Currently, the project is working with 350 returnee migrants in 45 villages in rural areas of Matara and Hambantota.

The project provides support in facilitating the professional reintegration of returnee migrants. This is achieved through assistance in finding employment based on their skills and experience acquired abroad. Sewalanka also provides training on how to start and run a business for self employment. The goal of this project has been to empower and improve the situation for returning migrants, skills acquisition through vocational training, better livelihoods and self employment with a real potential of making a significant contribution to the development of the communities. This migrant access project has also provided much-needed basic awareness on mental health among returnees. Screening and referrals are provided for those in need of further support.

Ms. Rasika Priyadarshani is a mother of 2 children. She worked in the Middle-East for one and half years and returned home after being sexually and emotionally abused by the host family she worked for as a housemaid. Sewalanka organized counseling to stablize her mental and emotional state and supported her to become a self-employed entrepreneur.

Ms. Shashila Priyadarshani returned home as she was not paid for months and was not given enough to eat. Sewalanka’s psychosocial support team helps many returnee migrants like Shashila to overcome past trauma, uplift their mental well being and live a better life. Now, Shashila earns Rs. 15,000 a month with the sewing machine she was provided with by the project. “At last I can look forward with hope,” says Shashila.

Sewalanka field staff provides much needed support and guidance to all of the participants in the migrant access project. The project also includes numerous training workshops supporting people like Shashila and Rasika to start, run and expand their businesses successfully.