Ill health and a lack of stable family income prompted Zakiah Hanim binte Othman to drop out of school in Secondary 2. Forced to marry against her wishes, her marriage fell apart six years later with two children under the custody of her ex-husband. However, she soon met and tied the knot with her current husband, bearing three children in her second marriage. As her husband was plagued by ill-health, Zakiah is now the sole breadwinner of the family. Fortunately, Zakiah's family can rely on the support from Singapore Red Cross' Family LifeAid service, which takes some burden off their daily expenses. 

Zakiah Hanim binte Othman, now 43 years of age, grew up in a family with limited means. Her family — comprising her parents and two younger brothers — never enjoyed a stable income. Her father made a living as a stallholder in a wet market while her mother worked as a religious teacher. Circumstances at home affected Zakiah’s physical and mental well-being, which impacted her focus in school. She experienced frequent bouts of asthma attacks, a condition she was diagnosed with when she was an infant. After falling behind in school for a couple of years, she decided to drop out of school in Secondary 2 when she was 16. 

She then took on a job as a religious teacher, but all her income was retained by her parents and was channelled towards taking care of her family.  When she turned 18, she was forced into marriage by her parents to an old village friend. Her first marriage only lasted six years, and she bore two kids over the period: a boy and a girl and now aged 20 and 23 respectively, who were in the custody of her ex-husband. Left to fend for herself, Zakiah took up part-time jobs in fast-food restaurants to make ends meet.  

Setting up a new family 

A couple of years following her divorce, she met and tied the knot with her second husband. They are now living together in a two-room rental apartment, with their three children — a girl and two boys aged 13, 15 and 16, respectively.

Her second husband had previously worked in various jobs in different sectors: at a shipyard and in a security agency. Zakiah, on the other hand, was a stay-at-home mother. With a keen interest in retail, she occasionally dabbled in small businesses from home with family and friends. When her youngest daughter was in primary school, Zakiah secured part-time jobs to supplement the family's income. 

Taking on the role of a sole breadwinner

Just as life seemed to be going on the right track, Zakiah’s family faced an unfortunate turn of events. Her husband suffered a bad fall from a flight of stairs in 2016, sustaining fractures in both his hands and wrists — injuries that eventually led him to quit his job. A year later, Zakiah's husband was plagued by various medical conditions: he was diagnosed with diabetes, developed a slipped disc, and underwent angioplasty to open blocked arteries in his heart.

“The doctor did not allow him to work, as he was very frail. Engaging in strenuous work then could prove fatal," she says. 

With the financial burden of her entire family landing solely on her shoulders, Zakiah worked tirelessly. Initially, she secured part-time jobs in retail stores with meagre remuneration and assisted her cousin's business at night markets and bazaars at Expo on weekends. 

She pursued and completed a diploma in retail management to further enhance her skills. This enabled her to land a full-time job as an Operations and Sales Executive at a bakery in 2019. However, as the salary could barely meet the family's daily expenses, Zakiah took on another job as a salesperson at roadshows to earn additional income. But her income was adversely affected as the food sector grappled with lower footfall and roadshows were called off amid tighter COVID-19 restrictions.

To ensure that their family lived within their means, Zakiah kept a tight rein on the family's finances. Unlike most children, her kids could not enjoy indulgences like crackers or sweet treats, even over the festivities. “Thank goodness my kids were alright with not having those,” she recalls with a hint of sorrow. 

Benefitting from Singapore Red Cross’ support

Her husband's heart condition has necessitated monthly injections, which cost $1,600 per injection over the past three years. Fortunately, the family received some financial aid as her husband's medical expenses were covered through dedicated health schemes.

Besides her husband's ailments, Zakiah also battles her own medical conditions. Apart from asthma, Zakiah was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and a dermatological condition that requires her to go for quarterly checkups. Both Zakiah and her husband have to take oral medication for diabetes daily. 

A social worker referred her family to the Singapore Red Cross' Family LifeAid (FLA) service.

Since enrolling in the FLA service in July 2021, Zakiah's family receives monthly supermarket vouchers, which alleviates the family's financial burden. 

“I was really glad to be selected for the FLA programme. The supermarket vouchers that I receive really do help with our daily needs, as they enable us to purchase essential food items and groceries,” she says, expressing her gratitude. 

Keeping motivated

A lesser-willed person in such circumstances might have given up, but not Zakiah. Now a proud grandmother of a one-year-old girl, her love for her family and her dream of purchasing her own house keep her motivated. 

“My kids are growing up and they also need their privacy, so now I am trying to save money to buy our own house," she says.

By Yatin Pawa, Volunteer
Copyedited by Charlene Chin, Volunteer