Ray of Hope is raising $2,000 to help Karen and Ken with their HDB option fee so that they can secure a home. Having a flat will also allow Karen’s son (currently in foster care) to be reintegrated into the family.

Karen and Ken, both 41, have been working towards owning their own home. With only minimal support from their parents, the couple is currently staying at a friend’s place as an interim living arrangement.

Karen was born deaf and mute. She has four children and is five months pregnant with her fifth. Her eldest child is cared for by her mother and her second child was adopted in 2011. Her third child is in the custody of his biological father. Her youngest child was abandoned by his father and put into foster care, because Karen was unable to care for him on her own. He will return to the family in May 2022.

In January this year, Karen and Ken tested positive for Covid. Shortly after they were discharged from hospital, a terrible accident occurred at home. While they were heating up their meals in the kitchen, the gas tank exploded and 9 percent of their bodies suffered serious burns. Investigations revealed that the explosion was caused by holes in the gas pipe and a loose gas tank cap. Karen and Ken were hospitalised for 4 days and have since had to return to the hospital for regular follow-up checks.

Ken worked as a part-time mover for 8-9 years, before he met Karen in 2020. His work was unstable and both he and Karen had borrowed money from their friends to cover the day-to-day expenses. Recently, he started working as a store man and has been the family’s breadwinner, earning around $1,800 a month. However, he could not work for over a month after the accident.

The couple has now fully recovered from their injuries. However, the series of unfortunate events has hindered their plans to save up for a new home. Ken will start his new job as a a store man this week, with a salary of $2,600 (inclusive of overtime) a month. With the increase in his salary, the couple is positive that things will pick up for them, gradually.

*Karen is not receiving social assistance.