Since his wife passed away in 2013 due to cancer, lift supervisor Mohamed Hanifar, 59, has had to raise his five school-going children on his own.
While others are winding down in their careers, Mr Hanifar is still working hard to give his children a better life. Mr Hanifar’s eldest child is 19, while the youngest is 10.
“Of course, I have to think of my children. I want to give all of them a good life,” he said.
Mr Hanifar has also been getting support from elsewhere – The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union (SMMWU). He’s a branch official who has been with the union for 38 years.
Mr Hanifar and his children have benefited from SMMWU’s bursaries and scholarships. He has also been getting assistance from the NTUC-U Care Fund in the form of the U Stretch Vouchers and the Back To School (BTS) Vouchers since 2012.
“These vouchers and bursaries have helped me financially. We would use them on their school expenditure, which would have otherwise been expensive for me,” he said.
Mr Hanifar’s eldest daughter, Hazirah, is currently a year three creative-writing student in polytechnic. She’s been receiving bursaries from the union since Primary 2.
Since her mother’s passing, she has been the mother figure for her siblings.
“When it comes to school, I’ll help them with homework and revision for exams. Since my dad is working, I’ll help him keep an eye on them. I want my siblings to excel academically and for them to have a good future,” said Hazirah.
She appreciates her dad’s sacrifices and hopes to repay him someday.
“He works hard. He’s doing everything he can for us. That’s why I need to work hard at school. It’s so that I can one day give him a good life as well,” she said.
After graduating from the polytechnic, she plans to continue her studies at a university, and to one day become a journalist.
“Eventually, I want my dad to retire and rest and live a comfortable life. I want to be a successful journalist so I can support him and my family,” she said.
