Background

Mdm Siti*, 28 years old, is a hardworking and resilient single mother to a 5-year-old daughter. Mdm Siti was originally from Bangladesh and came to Singapore in 2013. She married a Singaporean man who turned out to be physically, emotionally and verbally abusive. The abuse continued throughout her pregnancy and did not stop even when Mdm Siti was heavily pregnant.

Mdm Siti divorced her ex-husband in 2017 and even though she has spousal maintenance he has defaulted payment numerous times. Her ex-husband has care and control of their daughter while Mdm Siti has visitation rights including overnight access for 2 nights a week. However, her ex-husband has refused to allow her access to her daughter and Mdm Siti rarely sees her daughter. This has caused Mdm Siti significant heartache and distress and she is currently fighting for custody, care and control of her daughter as for a mother, nothing is more heart-breaking than being unable to see her own daughter.

The Struggle

Due to her country of residence and education level, Mdm Siti is only able to work as a homecare assistant for Singaporean elderly who are living in isolation. She goes to their houses to shower them, ensure they take their medications and cleans their houses. The work is physically demanding, and she earns only S$800 a month.

Mdm Siti is determined to provide a better life for her Singaporean daughter. It is not easy for a mother to be separated from her daughter. She has enrolled in a part-time diploma course in Tourism & Hospitality Management. She ultimately wishes to work in the hotel and hospitality industry as she can earn a higher income.

It is difficult to survive in Singapore with just S$800. She is currently fighting for custody of her daughter and is paying her lawyer in instalments of S$214 per month. She is living in an open market room rental which costs S$350 per month. The rest of the money is spent on transportation and food. Mdm Siti eats simply as she can’t afford to eat outside.

Give Hope – Help Needed

With her salary of just S$800, she is unable to take on a bank loan. Mdm Siti’s life has not been easy since the day she came to Singapore. Her ex-husband was abusive towards her and she does not have proper access to her daughter.

Ray of Hope is, therefore, trying to raise S$4,485 for her diploma course fees. The amount raised will be paid directly to the school. Please give hope to Mdm Siti. Without proper qualifications in Singapore, it is very hard to find a better paying job. Mdm Siti is trying her best to upgrade herself solely for her daughter as she wishes to provide a better life for her 5-year-old child. Mdm Siti informed us that she fell into depression once, but her daughter was the reason she still has hope to go through life. It is not easy for a single mother going through hardship alone, therefore your donation means a lot!

* Name has been changed in order to protect the identity of Mdm Siti as she is fighting for custody of her daughter

* ROHI has previously assisted Mdm Siti. You may read more on her circumstances here and here.

* Mdm Siti is not receiving government financial assistance as she is not a Singaporean citizen even though her daughter is a citizen of this country.