When her husband passed away suddenly of a heart attack four years ago, Mdm Marhaini Binte Alwee's world collapsed. Then pregnant with her fourth child and in her last trimester, Mdm Marhaini was at a loss. 'I never expected him to go at that very moment when I really needed him the most. I cannot imagine how I can continue to manage to bring up my kids alone.' Luckily, with the strong support of her loved ones, the plucky woman was able to slowly gather strength and courage to provide a future for her four lovable children.
Yet, even with a mother's determination and perseverance, the mild-mannered clerk often found herself at breaking point. With a gross monthly household income of about $1,650, and four young mouths to feed, she often had trouble juggling household bills and school expenses. Upon learning of her situation, the Singapore Industrial & Services Employees' Union (SISEU) (of which she has been a member for 15 years) encouraged her to sign up for the assistance programmes available under the NTUC-U Care Fund.
With the U Stretch and Back to School vouchers, which aim to help low-income union members defray the cost of living, Mdm Marhaini has been able to save greatly on daily and school expenses, and is able to secure a future for her family.
Mdm Lai Yet Eng, 51, a part-time flyer distributor has also been a beneficiary of the NTUC-U Care Fund. A member of the United Workers of Electronics and Electrical Industries (UWEEI), the soft-spoken woman has been able to apply for the U Stretch and Back to School vouchers, which have been crucial in supplementing her family's income, for the past 6 years.
'If not for the vouchers, my husband and I would find it difficult to purchase items beyond the compulsory ones, as they are more expensive. I use the vouchers mainly to buy printer cartridges, assessment books and school shoes,' she shared. With only about $1,100 in total income between herself and her husband, who holds two jobs as an odd-job labourer, the vouchers have gone a long way in ensuring that her family's needs are taken care of.
Essential groceries such as milk powder and rice are also purchased with the U Stretch Vouchers from NTUC FairPrice at a discount. Apart from financial assistance, Mdm Lai is also appreciative of NTUC's efforts in nurturing the family nucleus. Even though both husband and wife are rarely able to find time to spend with their children, the family looks forward to attending the annual Family Recreation and Fun Carnival sponsored by NTUC Club. 'I am very grateful to NTUC for this opportunity to let us have the time for emotional bonding, which is truly rare for our family,' Mdm Lai shared.
As guests at the recent U Care Charity Dinner held on 28 August at Resorts World Singapore, both Mdm Marhaini and Mdm Lai had much to cheer about. During the dinner, it was announced that through the generous donations from all of NTUC's 61 affiliated unions and association,corporate and individual donors, the NTUC-U Care Fund managed to achieve its target of raising $10.5 million this year, which will go towards helping low-income union members and their families.
As the Labour Movement, our priority has always been that of all our union members, including the less-privileged. Through our various offerings and programmes such as the NTUC-U Care Fund, we remain committed to caring for our members, especially in helping our low-income union members and their families defray the cost of living.
For more information on the NTUC-U Care Fund, please click here. To find out how the fund has made a difference and touched the lives of our members, please click here.
