The Kapatiran ng mga Migranteng Istranded sa Riyadh (KAMI-SR, the Brotherhood or Organization of Filipino Migrants Stranded in Riyadh) was organized in the year 2000 as a self-help community that would address the 'stranded' OFWs own concerns, like food, shelter and finding alternative jobs.

Organizationally, KAMI-SR replaced the Migrant Workers Stranded in Riyadh (MWSR) that spearheaded the sit-in strike inside the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in 1998 that resulted the way for mass repatriation under the then Ambassador Romulo Espaldon.

The Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan (KGS, Brotherhood or Organization of Filipinos in the Middle East) was instrumental in building the organizational capability of KAMI-SR and assisted the organization in their liaison and documentation needs.

KGS is an affiliate of MIGRANTE International, the global alliance of migrant Filipinos and their families.

From 2000 and on until 2001, KAMI-SR launched a series of dialogues with the POLO and the Philippine Embassy concerning their twin demands for repatriation and shelter for male OFWs in distress.

Nothing came out of the dialogues and most of the members resigned to accepting their fate, going home through the so-called 'back-door.'

Some stranded OFWs however, remained and continued on with the day-to-day grind, waiting patiently for a breakthrough effort in order to resolve their case.

For the Visit of the President

September 2003. In preparation for the planned visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Kingdom, KAMI-SR and KGS launched a campaign to document the status of the various distressed workers.

There was no other action in mind, however, other than to submit the list to the President,
hoping to get her attention to the plight of 'stranded' workers, and possibly, offer any solution
that would ease the situation.

But the planned visit fizzled out due to unavoidable circumstances and the 'stranded' Filipinos
became more restive until the 'hunger strike' was launched.