“My son came out of the room, smiling. It was his birthday, but I know we couldn’t afford a cake for my son. He walked away, and there’s no way a 11-year-old could hide the disappointment on his face.” – Mr Ansar, 45.

Background

Despite having worked countless 12-hour shifts that took time away from his young children, 45-year-old Mr Ansar still speaks passionately about taking pride in his job as a security officer and doing it well. Mr Ansar has been the sole breadwinner of his family of 6, supporting them with his salary as a security officer for more than 6 years.

Mr Ansar has 4 children from his current marriage, aged 11,8,4 & 2. He also has 3 children (24, 21 & 17) from his previous marriage, whom he is supporting through the spousal maintenance that he is paying each month. Being the eldest among his siblings, Mr Ansar is also sharing the financial load to support his elderly mum with the rest of his siblings.

Help Needed – Give Hope

Even when he was working as a full time security officer, the family barely scrapped through each month with so many mouths to feed. The real struggle comes about when Mr Ansar’s employment was converted to part-time and he is only required to take on replacement roles, i.e. a 3-hour shift or when the company requests for manpower. His wife, a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holder, has also been trying to seek employment to help support the family, but to no avail. Mr Ansar is hoping to switch to a full-time job and has been actively seeking employment, while the couple has also approached a family service centre for assistance on the employment of Mr Ansar’s wife. On a high month, Mr Ansar is able to bring home around $1,200, let alone on months when he does not get called up for jobs.

The family is appealing for an interim financial assistance while they work on seeking assistance and support from the community during this period. Mr Ansar told the case workers that he hopes to provide his wife and children with a more conducive living environment, especially when his children are slowly outgrowing the small space in their cramped two-room rental flat where they call home.

Financial Breakdown

Ray of Hope would like to help Mr Ansar by raising $1,600 ($400 x 4 months) to defray his family’s living expenses.

*Mr Ansar is currently not receiving public assistance, but will be renewing his assistance.