Ray of Hope is raising $4,500 ($750 x 6 months) to support Azad and his family for the next 6 months. The funds will allow him to send remittances home to his family, as he seeks recourse and undergoes treatment for his injuries.

Azad is from Bangladesh and is married with two children, aged 7 and 12. He came to Singapore to work as a General Worker in the construction industry, earning approximately $950 a month. He would remit the bulk of his salary to his family for their living expenses, keeping around $200 for himself.

On 18 May 2022, Azad was carrying bags of cement and marble tiles, weighing 40kg and 25-35kg respectively, when excruciating pain struck his back. He was brought to the company clinic and was prescribed painkillers which did not help with his pain. When the pain did not subside, his employer wanted to dismiss him  and even bought him an air ticket home. Azad desperately sought help from an NGO who then advised him to report his injury to the Ministry of Manpower.

Azad subsequently went for his MRI and was diagnosed with disc desiccation of the L3-4 and L4-5 discs. He is on 6-months medical leave that ends in January 2023, and is unable to work in the meantime. Azad is now on painkillers and will be having a medical review on 2 December that would shed light on his current condition and further treatment options, if necessary. 

Azad attends weekly TCM treatment and physiotherapy sessions offered by an NGO, yet he continues to be unable to carry heavy objects, walk or sit for long as it causes much pain. This is worrisome as it makes it unlikely for him to continue working in the construction industry unless he recovers fully.

As the sole breadwinner of his family, Azad worries about the family’s financial situation and his children’s education. As his core skillsets are in construction, it is his fervent hope to recover fully and continue working in this industry. The father of two shared that he is under immense stress. Funds raised by Ray of Hope will allay some of his distress by meeting his family’s needs while he waits for his body to heal and for his MC wages to be paid fully.