In June 2016, a Singapore man was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Johor Baru. The sole breadwinner left behind his wife and four young children. Ms Nadia Zan and her husband, Mr Afai, was among many Singaporeans who offered help to the family.
How did your help Madam Rohaya Zainal Abidin and her children?
When my husband and I read about the tragic accident and what Madam Rohaya and her family had to go through, we felt that we had to do something. A simple and practical way was to raise some money for the family, so we started posting our fundraising project on Facebook.
Why did you help them?
Personally, I feel for the needy and have always wanted to do my part to help. The story tugged at my heartstrings and I could imagine Madam Rohaya’s pain – she now has to take care of her four young children by herself.
With Hari Raya Aidilfitri just around the corner, it is supposed to be a celebratory occasion, but it would be difficult for the family to feel joyful at all after losing their loved one. I hope to bring some joy to the four children, to make them forget about the pain they have to deal with at such a young and tender age.
What was the biggest takeaway for you in helping them?
The moment that we posted the fundraising project on Facebook, enquiries from our and the family’s friends started streaming in. It was overwhelming. Everyone helped to share on their feed, and it became viral very quickly.
The donations took some time to trickle in, but they eventually picked up and we raised over $2,500 for Madam Rohaya and her family in just nine days. At the end of the day, being able to lend a helping hand was more satisfying than anything else.
