What happened to Mdm Zara?

Mdm Zara, a mother of five, is estranged from her husband and has been left struggling to provide for her five children aged 10,11,14,18 and 19 on her own. While Mdm Zara and her children have stable housing as they stay with her elderly parents and older brother, they still rely on social assistance to make ends meet on a daily basis. While Mdm Zara hopes to improve her family’s financial situation by seeking employment, she has yet to find one that allows her to continue her caregiving responsibilities. 

How can you help?

Lessen Mdm Zara’s financial burden by supporting her grocery expenses ($500 x 5 months) and the English programme offered by the Student Care Centre for her two younger daughters ($200 per child per year), as part of their academic support. 

Find out more / Appeal from Mdm Zara: 

Mdm Zara’s marriage took a painful turn early in the relationship. One year into the union, her husband started reducing support towards Mdm Zara and their children. He re-prioritized his first family, starting a growing rift  in their relationship and the stability of the family. As the situation worsened through the years, she filed for divorce in 2015, only to relent when he begged for another chance. While things did not improve, she put up with the situation in hopes of keeping the family together. Over time, her hopes dimmed and she mustered up the courage to ask for a divorce again in 2020. The ensuing conflict between the two was witnessed by the children, causing a significant amount of distress. While she was unsuccessful in filing for a divorce, her husband has since moved to stay with his children from a previous marriage. During the Covid Pandemic,  Mdm Zara sought a fresh start and found work as a Safe Distancing Ambassador. However, just shy of four months into this opportunity, her parents’ health unexpectedly deteriorated significantly. This came at a time where her youngest child’s educational and emotive challenges peaked in the form of active school refusal. She found herself taking on the role of sole caregiver to both her aged parents, on top of her own children, struggling particularly with the youngest child’s deteriorating emotional wellbeing. Bereft of options, Mdm Zara gave up on her job. 

Various organisations are assisting Mdm Zara with financial, emotional and parental support to become self-sufficient and reliant. With parents suffering from multiple health issues and her child’s struggles with school-going, her caregiving duties have proven to be a significant barrier from securing employment opportunities. She shares: 

“I am always thinking a lot about my family’s problems and how I can better support my family. As a daughter to my elderly parents and almost like a single-mother to my children, I have a heavy responsibility of supporting them.”

As a mother, she is incredibly proud of her children and finds joy in watching them reach their milestones in life.Mdm Zara hopes that the assistance received from the Campaign would give her time to achieve her goals: supporting her children’s learning and academic development while managing her family responsibilities more effectively and in time, being able to seek employment again.

*Mdm Zara is receiving social assistance. Her assistance ends in June 2023.