What happened to Jamaliah? 

Like every parent, Mdm Jamaliah has dreams of providing a secure home environment for her family and meeting all her children’s needs. Yet, this dream has been a difficult one for her to fulfill. In recent years, this dream seems even more distant as her heart condition worsened. First diagnosed in 2021, doctors have advised against delaying her heart bypass surgery any further and have scheduled the procedure for January 2024.

How can you help? 

Mdm Jamaliah would require time to heal and recover after her heart surgery and we are recommending 6 months support of $1,000 to tide the family of 5 through. This amount will supplement her elder daughter’s and son’s employment efforts and buy them time to seek more stable forms of income.

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Previously working multiple positions as a cleaner and cashier to make ends meet, she had switched to working as a security guard as it required less physical exertion. In October 2023, Mdm Jamaliah, 56, stopped working completely as her heart condition worsened. At this time, she was informed that she was no longer eligible for social assistance as her children were no longer in school and were of age to start working.

Mdm Jamaliah’s oldest daughter works full time and makes just enough to support herself and her baby daughter – sometimes this falls short when the child falls ill. Her son has been struggling to find suitable employment as he suffers from gout and is unable to sustain himself through work requiring high physical exertion. His multiple endeavours in job applications in the past months have proven unsuccessful and he is still working with a social worker to seek a sustainable solution. Mdm Jamaliah’s youngest dropped out of secondary school in hopes of helping her family out and is currently caring for her baby niece while her sister goes out to work. 

The family has dreams of moving into a purchased HDB apartment that would provide a healthier living environment than the current 2-room HDB flat and a brighter future where they would not need to worry about making ends meet day by day. To this end, their social workers are helping the family to seek longer-term financial stability, exploring options for further education as well as suitable employment options for Mdm Jamaliah’s children. Your generosity will buy time for the family to move a step closer to their dream while allowing Mdm Jamaliah to recover from surgery.