The Struggle

It is never an easy decision for one to leave their hometown to help sustain the lives they leave behind. Like any migrant worker, Mr Liu Yu Guang came to Singapore with the hope of improving the life of his family back home in the Hebei province in China. The 45-year-old, who is the sole breadwinner of his family and the father to 4 schooling children, was able to send remittances home without fail each month with the S$1,700 wage that he was earning. Mr Liu works long hours from 5am to 6pm daily with only one rest day a week. Unfortunately, Mr Liu met with an accident merely three months after he started work, when an electric grill hit his hand, causing a severe fracture requiring surgery.

Help Needed – Give Hope

The accident occurred on 28 May 2018 when an electric grill hit Mr Liu’s hand while he was at work.  Mr Liu was brought to a clinic and was prescribed painkillers. Before he knew it, the pain soon grew to become unbearable and Mr Liu went to the hospital to seek treatment for his fracture as the painkillers could no longer keep the pain under control. Despite being advised that he needed immediate medical attention, Mr Liu’s pleas remain ignored by his employer. The pleas continued until Mr Liu finally underwent surgery only 5 months later after being granted consent for the surgery. Although the surgery fees were paid for by the employer, the doctors have now certified that Mr Liu is likely to suffer from a permanent disability on his right wrist due to the prolonged delay for medical attention.

Besides having to endure the physical pain, Mr Liu confided in the case workers that he is more worried about how his family back home is going to cope with finances during this period. With his 4 children still schooling, the caregiving responsibilities for Mr Liu’s elderly father who is recovering from stroke, there is no one else in the family to replace his role. The accident has thrown Mr Liu into complete helplessness, especially when the man who used to be able-bodied is no longer able to support his family the way he used to. He also has no means of repaying the two loans of close to S$4,490 he undertook ($2,990 for his eldest daughter’s university fees this year and S$1,500 while he was injured).

Financial Breakdown

ROHI would like to raise $1,200 ($300 x 4 months) for Mr Liu’s living expenses as he awaits an outcome for his MOM compensation. Your donations would give hope to Mr Liu and his family!