Work + Travel = Awesome Long Weekend

This morning I flew back to Jakarta after a four-day conference about Protecting Migrant Workers on Lombok Island, just east of Bali.  I traveled here last February when Preethi came to visit me from Australia, but this time the focus was on researching the situation of Indonesian migrant workers and attending a conference put on by several of the Tifa Foundation’s partner NGOs.

The conference brought together about 30 participants from different NGOs, government offices, paralegals, and academics whose work and passion is on helping protect and educate migrant workers and their families.  This particular region of Indonesia has one of the highest rates of migrant workers, mostly due to pervasive poverty.  They generally travel to countries such as Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, legally or illegally, to take on jobs in places such as factories, palm oil plantations, and as domestic workers.  Ideally these men and women, often just teenagers, go and work for a year or two and send home enough money for their family eat a little better and maybe even build a new home.  Unfortunately, cases of abuse, unpaid wages and general maltreatment are incredibly common.  The worst trend I heard was of women who worked abroad as domestic worker, generally the toughest positions, and their husbands used the money they sent home to get married again!  These women returned to no home and a broken family. 
 
I spent my time listening to the conference attendees share their experiences with casework, public education, and struggles, and also interviewing both former and potential migrant workers, government immigration officials and other activists.  Previously I had only been mildly knowledgeable of this issue, but the trip was incredibly enlightening and I am facing a few writing assignments on my findings.  The interviews with locals also put my Indonesian to use!

Rice paddies, palm trees, and thatched houses of rural Lombok Island.

Lunch with migrant worker activists, the local specialty: freshly caught and grilled fish.

Village kids where I was interviewing former migrant workers.  Every Indonesian kid I have met loves to get their photo taken and then see it on the camera, more excitement comes if this is done over and over and over again.

 

The surprisingly nice resort where the conference was held.  But I forgot my swim suit...