Not long ago, I caught up with Agung, a former resident of the shelter who received assistance. He's now happily married to his longtime girlfriend after years of long-distance relationship, and they're raising crayfish back in their hometown, working hard for their upcoming baby.
Agung first came to the Serve the People Association's shelter four years ago. At just 20 years old, he had recently arrived in Taiwan and had a rough start with a boss who had a terrible temper. He often faced physical abuse and unjust deductions from his overtime pay. He turned to the shelter for help and learned how to record videos as evidence to protect himself. In those videos, Agung captured moments like being punished in the rain, which made everyone feel sympathetic for him.
After coming to the shelter, Agung learned Chinese here and smoothly found a new job. He knew his girlfriend at the time, now his wife, back in Indonesia. They both came to Taiwan and made a pact to work here for three years to save money before returning home. As promised, three years later, they got married and started a business in Indonesia.
A year later, we finally met Agung in Indonesia. He and his wife greeted us with their niece, and we talked about their life back home and memories from Taiwan. Agung expressed his gratitude for the help he received from the shelter. Although his job didn't go smoothly when he first came to Taiwan, with our assistance, he quickly fought for his rightful overtime pay and successfully changed employers.
The shelter has encountered many workers like Agung who were exploited due to language barriers. Some, like Agung, took matters into their own hands, gathered evidence, and sought help from the shelter to file complaints. Unfortunately, others were less fortunate, facing workplace injuries or even losing their lives in a foreign land. We strive to assist more workers, protecting their rightful rights, because helping one life means helping one family. Seeing how Agung has grown more mature and steady, we're really happy for him. We wish Agung and his wife all the best in their life in Indonesia.