Each month we are spotlighting two of our On Demand team members, so we can start to get to know each other a bit better, and to recognize each other’s individual contributions to Amara’s mission.

This month’s spotlight is on Melanie Ty and Michael Wilson! We got a chance to hear more about their daily lives, and their advice to a new team members.

Melanie Ty
I’m a proud and happy subtitler from the Philippines who is a work-at-home mother with three kids. Working with Amara On Demand has really provided me a steady income, which gave me enough to save for my daughter’s school fees. Aside from the financial benefits, I also gain knowledge from the videos I work on every day.

I still find challenges working at Amara. Sometimes we may have different interpretations of the guidelines, rules or instructions. What I’ve found is to always look on the brighter side of things and that it’s never wrong to ask for clarifications if you feel that you’re not doing it right. This is a team. We work as a team and we achieve things as a team.

Melanie with her three children.

Michael Wilson
I live in San José Tepenené, Hidalgo, Mexico, where I teach English, computer skills, and science. My wife and I spend our free time as a traveling cinema show and are working on a documentary about our own town’s history.

I’m so proud of my kids… my daughter works to promote Fair Trade, my son is doing research at UCSC, and we have a two-year old boy who reminds me to play every day!

My advice to new Amara On Demand Subtitlers is to focus on teamwork – leverage the network. Also, be patient and practice slowly at first, to build skills before speed. When I factor in learning with making a living, and the way access to new information stands to improve my own life, as well as others lives in so many ways, it’s clear to me that this is a very worthwhile undertaking.

Mike and his four children.