John, a 64 year-old businessman, wanted to retire and enjoy the harvest of decades of hard work. He chose to begin his new phase of life in Thailand with a trusted Thai partner. He soon started the business in Thailand with anticipation and joy. Unfortunately, things took a downturn and he lost everything overnight.
The relationship with his Thai partner, unfortunately, soured after three years. They were constantly fighting over monetary matters. John, along with his relationship, struck rock bottom when his partner betrayed him, locked him out of their home with only a small backpack. He had neither money nor access to bank accounts and his assets in the foreign land.
“My life savings were stolen from me. I never thought I would have to live like a refugee,” John recounted.
He slept on the streets and in temples of Thailand for two months. With the help of some kind people he met, he managed to travel from Trat to the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok. There, The Salvation Army Singapore responded to his call for help, connected him with donors who funded his passageway and brought him back safely to Singapore.
“Homelessness and vulnerability came in a most unexpected way for me,” said John. “I am grateful that The Salvation Army cared enough to help bring me from the streets of Thailand to the safe havens in Singapore.”
The Salvation Army Singapore’s cross-border work does not stop at bringing Singaporeans home. It also extends to non-Singaporeans who are displaced.
Today, The Salvation Army serves in 133 countries. Although each country’s teams run largely independently, there are occasions where different countries would support one another to lend assistance to displaced persons across borders.
When someone who is alone and in trouble in a foreign land, it is very scary. They would need help and, sometimes, protection. For instance, female deportees are especially vulnerable to human traffickers so it is important to ensure a safe passage for them to return home.
said Marcus Moo, Director, Social & Community Services (Singapore), The Salvation Army.
Sarth* holds a Myanmar passport while her family resides in India. She was in Singapore seeking a job as a domestic helper. However, the Singapore authorities soon found immigration complications relating to her and hence, she had to be deported back to Myanmar. The Salvation Army Singapore – worked closely with colleagues from other territories and the relevant authorities to painstakingly ensure her point-to-point safe passage from Singapore to Myanmar and thereafter back to her parents in India.
“Our global presence is one factor that sets The Salvation Army apart from other social services, and it enables us to lend humanitarian aid from Singapore across borders to those who are displaced in foreign lands. Any help we manage to render to them is in line with our goal of providing physical and emotional safe havens for the vulnerable, showing care and compassion to all,” said Mr Moo.