On Sunday, 16th April, I’ll set off a 180km walk across Sicily in Italy to raise money for two Ray of Hope beneficiaries.

It started as a simple idea; to take an ancient pilgrimage route through Sicily and use this as a personal pilgrimage to raise money for Ray of Hope. As I have lived in Singapore for 23 years and only recently learned about Ray of Hope, hearing about the work that Ray of Hope does, connecting beneficiaries to donors, creates a real and direct impact on the lives of the beneficiaries of Ray of Hope.

For my pilgrimage route, I will be joined by my 74-year-old uncle, who lives in the UK.  So, this is my way of connecting with my family and giving back to Singapore.  The route will take us through mountains, desolate valleys and now and then by a shady forest path – from Palermo to Agrigento in nine days, arriving on Monday, 24th April.  We will cross the provinces of Palermo, rugged Caltanissetta and Agrigento. This ancient route has been shaped throughout history by the armies of different cultures, such as the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs.

I would like to raise money for two Ray of Hope beneficiaries. By contributing to this campaign, 100% of your donations will go directly to Emilyn and Mdm Yana.

Meet Emilyn
Help Emilyn with her daughter’s nanny fees for 5 months while she focuses on securing her employment, visit her campaign here.

32-year-old Emilyn is a tenacious single-parent who is also in remission for cervical and skin cancer.  Her 3 year-old daughter, Eleanor, was born prematurely and is susceptible to illness. Eleanor was hospitalised 6 times since November last year due to severe lung infection, pneumonia and bronchitis.

Emilyn does not receive any child support from her ex-partner and is estranged from her own family. This means that the determined mother is both sole breadwinner and caregiver to her child. Having lost her employment due to her long term hospitalization for treatment, even as she struggled to care for Eleanor on her own, Emilyn worries about making ends meet for herself and her child.

Meet Mdm Yana
Support visually-impaired Mdm Yana so that she can continue with her dialysis, visit her campaign here.

44 year-old Mdm Yana suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These medical conditions were compounded with a diagnosis of end-stage renal failure in 2020, requiring her to go for dialysis three times a week.. Mdm Yana often experiences swelling of her legs and giddiness after each dialysis session.

Things got even more challenging for the mother of three in August 2022, when some blood vessels on Mdm Yana’s eyes ruptured due to the rapid deterioration of her diabetic condition, resulting in partial visual impairment on both eyes. 

Mdm Yana’s deteriorating health impedes her ability to seek employment. This worries her deeply as she stays alone with her youngest child, with no stable source of income. 

With your generosity, we can help support Emilyn’s hopes in giving her child a better life by alleviating her worries whilst she secures employment and Mdm Yana’s hopes to continue her dialysis treatment and prolong her life so that she can continue to be there for her youngest son as he grows up. Please donate today and help these determined mothers change their lives.

If we achieve the goal of $6,000 earlier than expected, I’ll extend the target to help make a bigger difference. Excess funds will also go toward similar beneficiaries helping their situations.

Thank you.

About Ray of Hope

100% of your donations through Ray of Hope goes to people in need. We do not take a cut from the funds. We even cover the 3rd party credit card charges, if you choose not to, that other crowdfunding platforms deduct from your donation for campaigns.

100% of all campaigns are also fully verified, so you know your funds goes to real people with real needs.

We take donor accountability very seriously – with yearly audited accounts and strong governance in place to ensure that your donations is properly channeled to the beneficiaries.

Ray of Hope is a registered charity and a member of the National Council of Social Service.