Migrant workers and kids in virtual singalong of If We Hold On Together to raise funds for migrant workers

A World Together aims to raise funds for the migrant worker community. PHOTO: HEALTHSERVE SG/FACEBOOK

SINGAPORE - There's nothing like music to touch the heart and break through barriers.

To raise funds and bridge the gap between migrant workers and the broader community, arts group Voices of Singapore and Healthserve, a charity which helps migrant workers, have produced a music video of If We Hold On Together (1988), originally sung by Diana Ross.

The video, called A World Together, presents voices of migrant workers, along with those of the Voices of Singapore Children's Choir, which features 180 youth aged five to 17. They are joined by the Healthserve team and healthcare workers in the video, which also weaves in dialogues between children and migrant workers.

A World Together aims to raise funds for the migrant worker community. For each share of the video on social media, $5 will be donated to Healthserve, capped at $50, 000.

The funds will go to Healthserve's Social Assistance programme, which offers temporary assistance through meals, shelter and phone top-ups to workers facing salary and retrenchment problems.

Ms Gail Lien-Wang, committee member of Healthserve, says: "We have seen an immense outpouring of love, care and generosity for our migrant community amidst Covid-19. We hope that this support continues beyond this period, and translates into genuine inclusivity for the marginalised in our society."

She adds: "By involving children in this effort, we also hope to empower the voices of Singapore's next generation, as they envision a future of greater kindness, compassion and a shared humanity."

Supporting the project is the Singapore Kindness Movement and the National Integration Council, which aims to drive integration efforts in Singapore society.

Other supporters include social enterprise SDI Academy, which aims to empower refugees and migrants through education, as well as advertising agency, Ad Planet Group.

A World Together is produced by the team behind Voices of Singapore's 900-strong virtual singalong of Dick Lee's Home in April, which sparked a nation-wide singalong.

Mr Darius Lim, artistic director of Voices of Singapore, says: "There is something truly beautiful about a child's honesty and infinite capacity to love and care. This project looks at how we as a community can come together to care for and support each other."

The video will be launched on the Voices of Singapore and HealthServe Facebook pages and YouTube channels at 7pm on Friday (June 5).

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