A Family Trying to Build Stability

Mr Razak and his wife have spent years building a life for their family in Singapore, the only home their three children have ever known. Nilam (21), Iwan (20), and Iffan (18) grew up here, attended local schools, and built their hopes for the future alongside their peers.

Today, the family’s monthly household income is about $4,800, earned through long hours of work. Mr Razak works as a food delivery rider despite managing a chronic heart condition, while his wife works as a hawker assistant as she continues recovering from a previous stroke.

Even with everyone doing their part, the family has been living with very little buffer after daily expenses, transport, medical needs, and school costs are paid for.

Still, education for all his three children remains important to Mr Razak.

Nilam is currently pursuing a Polytechnic Diploma in Hospitality and aspires to further her studies at university, while Iwan has secured admission and recently commenced his Polytechnic Diploma in Events and Projects Management. Meanwhile, Iffan, who recently completed his ITE course, continues to actively pursue opportunities to further his studies.

 “I want to build a career in the hospitality sector and make my family proud,” Nilam says. “University is still my dream, but for now, I’m prepared to start work first and save toward it.” Iffan hopes to fulfill his dream of opening a small café one day. 

Years of Trying to Manage Alone

While all three siblings have stayed in Singapore since young, they are not citizens nor PRs. They face significantly higher school fees and limited access to government assistance schemes that many other families rely on.

Over the years, the family tried many ways to cope on their own. They borrowed from relatives, arranged installment plans with schools, appealed for support, met with their Member of Parliament, and the children worked part-time jobs while studying to help reduce the burden at home. 

Last year, Mr Razak also took on a high-interest loan out of desperation to prevent disruptions. But with rising living costs and ongoing healthcare concerns, the pressure slowly became harder to manage.

Today, they are facing $11,804 in tuition arrears, with upcoming tertiary education costs approaching and almost no financial cushion left.

“I try to help my parents whenever I can,” says Iffan. “But sometimes it feels like no matter how hard we try, it’s still not enough.”

A Long-Awaited Piece of Good News

After years of uncertainty and repeated applications, the family recently received encouraging news: both Iwan and Iffan have finally obtained In-Principle Approval for Singapore citizenship.

For the family, this represents more than paperwork. It means the brothers may finally have access to opportunities and educational pathways that have long felt out of reach. But this transition period remains financially difficult.

While the family works toward stabilising their situation, they are still carrying arrears and preparing for the next stage of the children’s education.

Mr Razak shares, “As parents, we want to protect our children. It’s painful knowing their education is at risk even though they’ve worked so hard. We have tried everything we can. We are just asking for some help to get through this period.”

What Your Support Will Help With

Funds raised will first go toward clearing the family’s $11,804 tuition arrears. In addition, this campaign also seeks support of about $750 per month for four months to help the family manage the children’s upcoming tertiary school fees.

This temporary support will ease some of the financial pressure on the family and provide breathing space as right now, even small unexpected expenses place the household under strain because there is barely anything left after meeting daily needs. This will help the children to continue their studies with greater stability while still working part-time where possible to contribute to the household.

“You don’t give up on your dreams,” Nilam says. “Sometimes you just put them on hold so you can help your family survive.”

For this family, support during this period means the chance to keep moving forward together — with stability, dignity, and the opportunity for the children to continue building the future they have worked so hard toward.

What we’re raising money for

We are raising $13,275.11 * to:

1. Clear $2,852.43 in accumulated school fee arrears for Iwan – Immediate
2. Clear $8,187.95 in accumulated school fee arrears for Iffan – Immediate
3. Provide $2,000 in transitional educational support ($500 per month over four months) to help ease the financial strain on the family as Nilam and Iwan continue their tertiary education and work toward greater stability during this transition period.

*The campaign goal includes a 1.8% payment processing fee.