Written by Ruhan Gupta, Student at UWC SEA
The Issue
Singapore runs on the labour of migrant workers, yet many of the people who build, clean, repair, deliver, and maintain the city still struggle to ask for help in the language that surrounds them every day. For a worker who cannot explain a medical problem, read a workplace notice, ask a question at a service counter, or understand a message on his phone, a language gap can quickly become a safety issue.
That reality moved Alex, Adrish, Ruhan, and Videep from UWCSEA to start The LINK Project, a student-led effort built around a simple belief: communication should not decide who gets help, dignity, or protection. Singapore is home to about 1.2 million migrant workers, and local research has shown that many workers face language and digital barriers that make everyday life harder and leave them more exposed to exploitation.
The LINK Project began with that problem close to home. Rather than treat English learning as a classroom exercise, the students shaped the project around the moments migrant workers actually face in Singapore: speaking to a doctor, asking for directions, understanding a supervisor, reading instructions, or explaining a concern before it turns into a crisis.
Our Solution
The team now works through two connected paths. The first brings students and workers together through in-person workshops, where participants practise practical English through conversation, role-play, and everyday situations. The second uses a personalised digital platform that the team has built as an early working version, with an AI voice companion that helps workers practise spoken English in a way that feels accessible and closer to real life in Singapore.
The project has already reached beyond the school community. The LINK Project recently won the Global Winner title at the Young Aurora Awards 2025–2026. The award gave the project international visibility, but their next goal remains firmly local. We strive to reach more workers across Singapore and adapt the programme for people from different languages, cultures, and backgrounds.
That expansion has already begun through partnerships with six local organisations: Singapore Red Cross, Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach, Project Bhai, In This Together, and Its RainingRaincoats. Through these partnerships, the team plans to bring its workshops to more migrant workers and strengthen the bridge between young volunteers, community groups, and the men whose work keeps Singapore moving.
The LINK Project does more than teach English. It gives workers a better chance to seek help, speak with confidence, and move through Singapore with fewer barriers in their way. In a city that depends so deeply on migrant labour, that kind of connection is simply a matter of fairness, belonging, and basic human respect.
Watch the video here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY6F3AjEvAd/
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