Singtel’s Dash and Ezra are collaborating to enable more migrant workers in Singapore to stay connected to their families back home through international airtime top ups with the Dash app. Dash is the first Asia-Pacific partner of Ezra, a global aid initiative launched in June that aims to tap on the strength of its partnerships with organisations including mobile operators, financial institutions and NGOs to help vulnerable migrant communities through digital and financial inclusion.
Migrant workers in Singapore, many of whom are in the construction and process industries and are domestic workers, have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is on this premise that Dash and Ezra have launched a campaign with the aim of making digital tools and services more affordable and accessible to migrant workers and to accelerate digital adoption.
The campaign, running from 22 July to 23 August, offers credit of up to two times the value of top-ups to migrant workers who use Dash to purchase international mobile airtime for their friends and family back home. The international mobile airtime is enabled by Ezra's partner DT One, an extensive global network for mobile top-ups, and the international mobile top-ups are available to multiple destinations including Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Mr Gilbert Chuah, Head of Mobile Financial Services, Singtel’s International Group says, “We share a common goal with Ezra to advance financial and digital inclusion and we want to support migrant workers who have to provide for their families back home. Through this initiative, we hope to help ease the economic burden of COVID-19 and bring some relief to Dash’s large base of migrant workers by helping them stay connected to their family overseas with the additional airtime. This is our way of showing appreciation to the migrant community which has contributed to building Singapore.”
Mr Allan Green, founder of Ezra says, “As the mobile phone has become a ubiquitous part of the daily lives of billions, it is the ultimate tool to enable inclusion. During these times of crisis, remaining connected with loved ones is vitally important. As such, we share a goal with Singtel’s Dash to enable the foreign worker community in Singapore to stay connected to home for longer. Ezra is humbled and proud that Singtel welcomes us as a partner.”
Dash, which counts over one million registered users, has become an essential mobile app for many migrant workers in Singapore with remittance as a key service used by the migrant workers. Dash is available to everyone regardless of telco or banking relationship, and can be downloaded on any mobile platform.
Ezra’s tie-up with Dash is the first of many partnerships to come to enable digital and social inclusion of global migrant workers and vulnerable communities.