In January this year Goducate started to teach English in a foreign workers’ dormitory in Singapore. The majority of blue-collar foreign workers live in huge dormitories, each housing several thousand workers. These dormitories are generally in isolated areas, away from where the locals live. There are over 40 such dormitories in Singapore.
The program is called Happy Happy English. It is aimed at teaching the workers functional English and giving them the confidence to speak it, but importantly it is also intended to make them feel welcome and happy. They come without their families and generally burdened by huge debts due to the fees they have to pay their agents to find work for them here. Over here, not only do they live in out-of-the-way places, but their long hours of work and low wages also add to giving them little chance of moving about much and getting to know the locals. From the feedback we have received, it is the friendliness they have experienced that they value most about Happy Happy English.
Late last month, Goducate introduced the program into a third dormitory. We began with two stage shows to give them an idea of how fun-filled the classes could be, followed by an orientation class before lessons proper.
We hope that this program will continue to make their lives better and happier.
