November 27, 2024 | Meet Purwanti, an inspiring artist and dedicated lifelong learner from Indonesia, as well as a migrant domestic worker who has spent the last decade working in Singapore. A recent Module 2 graduate at Aidha, she is working towards supporting her son’s education and building a stable future. Alongside these goals, she… View Article
November 27, 2024 | Meet Ofelia Espejo Pagdilao, a powerhouse of resilience and financial wisdom, and the winner of Aidha’s Financial Plan Competition 2024. As a single mom of three with eight grandchildren, Ofelia’s life has been full of big responsibilities and inspiring choices. When she first arrived in Singapore in 1993, her primary goal… View Article
November 27, 2024 | On 10 November, Aidha was filled with joy and excitement as we celebrated the remarkable achievements of 113 outstanding graduates who earned their Certificates of Achievement in our Module 2 and Module 3 courses, “Plan Your Financial Future” and “Start Your Business”. We were thrilled to have these bright stars with… View Article
July 18, 2024 | As Aidha marks its 18th year of empowering women through financial education, let’s take a joyful journey through its milestones and learn some fun facts along the way! In 2006, Aidha officially launched as an independent entity, starting with its first intake of 25 students in a condominium function room. Did… View Article
July 18, 2024 | Ride for Aidha 2024 was an incredible success, uniting cyclists from the Aidha family to support the empowerment of migrant domestic workers. This annual event not only raised awareness but also showcased the spirit of community that Aidha embodies. Total Distance Covered: This year, our dedicated riders collectively pedalled approximately 3,300… View Article
July 18, 2024 | Originally from Lampung Timur, Indonesia, Fitri dreamed of opportunities beyond her horizon. In 2010, with a passion for growth and a heart full of ambition, she made the life-changing decision to move to Singapore in search of better prospects to support her family back home. Fitri’s journey of personal and professional… View Article
February 28, 2024 | Nan Seng, hailing from Kachin, Myanmar, started working in Singapore in 2013. Fueled by a determination to support her family and herself, Nan Seng, initially a nurse, recognised the limitations of her income back home. In 2018, she discovered Aidha and enrolled in its empowering modules, graduating in 2019 with newfound… View Article
February 28, 2024| This month, we’re spotlighting Aidha’s Communications Team – Amirah and Nadhirah, who work together with the Marketing and Partnerships team and Aidha’s Student Ambassadors to bring you everything you see published on our digital platforms and more! Amirah is Aidha’s Communications Manager and she oversees and implements Aidha’s communication strategy – ensuring… View Article
November 7, 2023 | In a heartwarming ceremony on the 22nd of October 2023, we celebrated our Module 2 and 3 graduates who devoted themselves to a journey of self-empowerment through financial education. Their journey, marked by determination and resilience, reflects the power of education and the pursuit of better opportunities. We cheered for their… View Article
November 7, 2023 | Aidha is getting the party season started with pizzazz! Kick back and enjoy an evening of tipples, trivia and treats with Quizmaster Colin Chamberlain at the Aidha Charity Quiz Night and launch of Gift of Education 2023! All proceeds go towards the Gift of Education Campaign in support of financial education… View Article
November 7, 2023 | What a fantastic ride it’s been at this year’s annual Unspoken Life photography exhibition! We wrapped up our 7th edition of Unspoken Life over the weekend of 9th and 10th September at a cosy gallery in the heart of Tiong Bahru. Volunteers viewing photographs of the ‘Soulful Moments’ category…. View Article
November 7, 2023 | This month, we’re spotlighting Joan Cadiz Pueda, a migrant domestic worker (MDW) and a proud Aidha alumna, and her supportive employer, Rajee Vissa, to share their uplifting story. Joan’s personal growth, nurtured through her supportive employer Rajee and Aidha, is inspiring. Aidha equipped her with invaluable knowledge, but it was the… View Article
February 10, 2022| On Sunday, 6 February, we officially inaugurated our first satellite campus at the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training (FAST) Hub, also to be referred to as Aidha @ FAST Hub. The in-person ceremony was graced by Aidha CEO, Jacqueline Loh and our special guests from FAST, FAST President… View Article
February 10, 2022 | Written by Belinda Fowler | Arnolita Dela Cruz came to Singapore in 2005 from the Philippines to help support her family. She saved hard and had already bought some land, two small tractors and a couple of motorbikes with her earnings by the time she joined Aidha in 2018. But it… View Article
December 9, 2021| Janeta Espiritu left Manila, Philippines, and landed in Singapore in 2011 as a migrant domestic worker. She brought with her a hope to give her two kids a better life. Janeta recalls her difficulties starting work as a 17-year-old in The Philippines and the hurdles she faced trying to rent a place… View Article
December 9, 2021 | Our Graduation Ceremony is special for us. It is the day the entire Aidha community comes together to celebrate our graduates from Modules 2 and 3. These are students who have spent at least 12 months learning from our financial education programmes and put in the hard work and deep thinking… View Article
September 2, 2021 | It has been five years since Poe Phu Thin left her home in Myanmar to work in Singapore as a migrant domestic worker (MDW). Before this, she was working as a tuition teacher teaching mathematics for five years. While she enjoyed teaching primary school students, the salary was not enough to… View Article
September 2, 2021| Most Aidha students and alumnae will recognise Ting Claravall as the energetic emcee at our graduation ceremonies and events (both virtual and in-person!). But did you know that Ting has been with Aidha since the early years? A long-time volunteer who started in 2009, one of her first volunteering projects was producing… View Article
June 3, 2021 | The learning journey at Aidha does not end at our Module 3 – Start Your Business! We have the Aidha Business Accelerator (ABA) programme that provides support to Aidha alumnae who aspire to set up or strengthen their own businesses with more tailored support and significant new funding opportunities. We relaunched… View Article
April 9, 2021 | Every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day, the world reflects on the progress made towards gender equality and celebrates the achievements and strengths of women everywhere. This year, throughout the month of March, we held a special Learning Fest with an exciting array of free activities and classes for all… View Article
April 8, 2021 | Ismiatun Iskun came to Singapore from Indonesia more than 20 years ago, leaving her then four-year-old son. During her time working here as a foreign domestic worker (FDW), Ismiatun attended several courses to expand her skill-set. With the encouragement and support of her employers, she started taking sewing courses and learned… View Article
April 7, 2021 | As a passionate supporter of women’s empowerment and financial education, Laura Zaccaria was moved by Aidha’s mission and recognised that she could use her skills to support our programmes. Laura has been a volunteer mentor since 2015 after finding out about Aidha through her friend Prerana, who is also a seasoned… View Article
January 28, 2021 | Aidha alumna, Nurul Adim (more affectionately known as Ana by her employers) has been working in Singapore for almost ten years. She left her home in East Java, Indonesia, to work in Singapore after her family lost income and found themselves in financial need. Nurul chose to work in Singapore, feeling… View Article
January 28, 2021 | Emelda Cariaga left her home in the Philippines almost 30 years ago to work as a foreign domestic worker in Singapore with a clear goal to financially support her family. She realised the importance of being financially stable, and she was determined to learn how to make the most of the… View Article
December 5, 2020 | Aidha was officially launched as an independent entity in 2006 with our first intake of 25 students taught by Aidha founder, Dr Sarah Mavrinac, in a condominium function room. Chanchul Sakhrani, better known as Niky, is a very special volunteer who has been part of Aidha from those very early days. … View Article
November 11, 2020 | Every year, Aidha corporate partners, supporters, volunteers, staff and students come together to ‘Ride for Aidha’ in OCBC Cycle. This year, the much-anticipated sporting event was re-conceived as a Virtual Ride. Despite the changes to the event, the Aidha community rose to the challenge and we’re delighted to have more than… View Article
November 11, 2020 | Written by Cathy Heeley | October is always a special month at Aidha as we celebrate the graduation of our students from Modules 2 and 3. These students have completed at least 12 months of financial education at Aidha and worked hard to complete their own personal financial plans and business… View Article
November 9, 2020 | Taking learning online is now the new normal but it is a challenging task to adopt new learning techniques very quickly! At Aidha, benefiting from the expertise in our community, and huge willingness to help, we were able to draw on the skills and experience of our staff and volunteers to… View Article
November 8, 2020 | Aidha’s much-awaited signature event, the 4th edition of Unspoken Life Photography Exhibition was launched virtually on 4th October 2020. For the first time ever, we brought our exhibition online by displaying winning photographs in a virtual gallery. The online exhibition is curated by local photography zine, Your Local News Stand. Despite… View Article
July 24, 2020 | Dear Friends of Aidha, Hope you have been staying safe and well through these unprecedented times. Since the pandemic started to take hold in the early part of this year Aidha, like everyone, has been very busy adapting to a changed world. You will have received an update in May on… View Article
July 24, 2020 | At our last Graduation, we were so proud to witness more than 140 graduating students receive their certificates in the presence of their employers and employers’ families, along with the Aidha community of fellow students, volunteers and supporters. Our keynote speaker was Ms Dipa Swaminathan, the founder of ItsRainingRaincoats and… View Article
July 23, 2020 | As Covid-19 forced the postponement of Aidha’s annual Unspoken Life Photography Competition and Exhibition, in mid-May, Aidha launched Inside Life, a mini-photography contest for foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore. Inside Life was launched to get the participants’ creative juices flowing in light of the extension of the Circuit Breaker. It… View Article
July 23, 2020 | Meenakshi Sanghi and Belinda Fowler became friends while studying to be English teachers and both joined Aidha as ‘Improve your English’ mentors soon after. Passionate advocates for women’s education, they love that as Aidha volunteers they can make a practical difference in students’ lives. Meenakshi and Belinda are also office… View Article
July 19, 2020 | After graduating from high school in Lampung, Indonesia, Rara Anggriani worked at her relative’s shop selling spare parts before heading to Malaysia to become a domestic worker. After a couple years in Malaysia, Rara arrived in Singapore in 2012 to work as a domestic worker and has since helped fund the… View Article
July 17, 2020 | We are excited to announce that, with our supporters’ and donors’ help, we raised a grand total of $76,000 for our 2019 Gift of Education campaign! This includes the proceeds from Aidha’s Charity Quiz Night in November, donations collected through Giving.sg and Aidha’s website, as well as off-line contributions. A warm… View Article
July 5, 2019 | Written by Preethy Sajan | Aidha is approaching its 13th anniversary this July! Here is a look at its journey of educating and empowering foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore. Aidha officially launched in July 2006, with its roots tracing back to the pilot financial programme run by UNIFEM Singapore (currently… View Article
July 5, 2019 | Written by: Preethy Sajan | After struggling to find a stable job in her hometown in the Philippines, Gleia Mae Duenas and her husband had to turn their house into a storage facility. When her four-year-old daughter innocently asked her why they had to live in a storage house, Gleia knew… View Article
July 5, 2019 | Written by: Belinda Fowler | It’s 4am: out of the dark, a steady stream of orange-clad cyclists starts to arrive. Despite the hour, the excitement builds. With team photos complete, they make their way to the starting line at the Sports Hub for the OCBC Cycle 2019. Team Aidha is here,… View Article
July 5, 2019 | Written by: Belinda Fowler | Will Teoh started volunteering at Aidha eight or nine years ago. “I’d just graduated and decided that I should make good use of my time during the weekend with meaningful activities. Volunteering at Aidha was one of them”. Will shares one of his earliest Aidha memories,… View Article
February 1, 2019 | Here we are again at the end of one year and the start of another! It’s amazing how time flies at Aidha! We have had another action-packed year and look forward to an exciting year ahead as well. First and foremost, I want to say a huge thanks to all members… View Article
