Jakarta, IO – Sri Mariyati, 35, finally returned to Indonesia after no word was heard from her for 15 years after she went to work in Malaysia in 2008. At that time, she was still in her teens and was determined to improve her family’s financial situation, per Kompas, Saturday (28/10).
Mariyati said that she lost contact with her family when she first arrived in Malaysia. At that time, she tried several times to contact her family via the nearest telephone shop, but to no avail. Mariyati, who was still very young and naived, became disoriented. Since then, she never heard from her family again.
“At that time, I gave up, accepting my fate here (Malaysia),” said Mariyati.
She then worked diligently and persistently with a kind employer in Selangor. “Thank God, my employer still gives me the right to open an account under my name in Malaysia.”
Mariyati saved most of her wages. She believes that one day she could return to her homeland to meet his family. Little did she know that it will take 15 years.
On July 31, Tegaldlimo village in Banyuwangi, one of the foster villages under the auspices of Migrant Care, was visited by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Indonesia Partnership Towards an Inclusive Society (INKLUSI).
Jani, chief of Sumberdadi hamlet, where Mariyati’s family lives, said that one of his residents was missing in Malaysia for more than a decade. Finally, coordination was carried out to find the whereabouts of Sri Mariyati.
Banyuwangi Migrant Care coordinator Uut Rochimatin said that Sri Mariyati’s full identity was only discovered on October 1. “Next, we coordinated with the Malaysian side, and finally she was able to return home,” said Uut.
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However, Mariyati could only stay for a month because she still had two years worth of contract left. Mariyati’s older brother Nuryanto, 37, said he was grateful because he was able to find out that his sister is doing well.
“Thank God, we can meet again. Words cannot express how happy we are,” said Nuryanto.
Nuryanto hopes that when his sister has completed the remainder of her contract she can return to spend more time with her family. “We were worried about her every day. But we can only resign to God’s will,” said Nuryanto. (un)