S'pore man, 35, finding childhood helper from Indonesia to invite to wedding

A man in Singapore is searching for his childhood domestic helper, whom he lost contact with five years ago.

In a Facebook post, Samuel Caleb Wee wrote that his helper's name is Susilowati, or Wati for short, and that she came to Singapore from Indonesia in 1994.

She was with his family for over 16 years before returning to Indonesia in 2010.

Although they had kept in touch over the years, they lost contact in 2020 during the pandemic.

"She used to always say that she would come back to Singapore when one of us got married to attend the wedding," he wrote.

Now that he is holding his wedding Singapore in 2026, he hopes to invite her and is turning to the internet for help in finding her.

Last contact in 2020

The last contact number the family had for Wati is no longer in use.

The most recent location they have for her is Semarang.

They also possess a partial address from a letter she wrote years ago, referencing a place called "Gawtengang."

Comments under Wee’s post suggest that this could be a misspelling of "Jawa Tengah," which means Central Java, a province in Indonesia.

Staying hopeful

"We are afraid something bad happened during Covid, but we try not to think about the worst, and to stay hopeful," Wee wrote.

He shared that he will be holding his wedding in January 2026 and that it would be deeply meaningful to have Wati present to witness the milestone.

In an attached photo, Wee also wrote that Wati was like "half a mum" to them — feeding them, putting them to bed, fetching them from school, and separating the siblings during fights.

"She is part of our family, someone who gave so much of her life to raising us, and we miss her."

Looking for those who can help

Speaking to Mothership, Wee shared that many have reached out to him following his post, including well-wishers.

While he is grateful for the support, he is hoping to connect with specific groups who may be able to help:

1. Domestic helpers from Indonesia who worked in Singapore from 1994 to 2010, who overlapped with Wati and might have stayed in touch
2. Individuals who worked in maid agencies from 1994 to 2010 who might have kept records
3. Individuals with Semarang contacts that can help to spread the word through Semarang media
4. The Indonesian embassy in Singapore
5. Anyone with vital and important leads

Anyone with information on Wati is encouraged to contact Wee via his Facebook.

Top photos from Samuel Caleb Wee/Facebook