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A story of Local Response by Sarah
Amy met a young mother living in a neighbourhood during one of the community events. She was a mother of four children and a husband was also no longer around. Upon hearing the Ami’s family challenges, she readily suggested that they live with her until they could find an alternative place to stay. She also lived in a two-room flat, but she was willing to share whatever she could. She even found Ami a job at her own workplace, where they could work together in the same environment. Amy's family was relieved upon hearing of this young mother's good fortune.
This story is a constant reminder to me about the power of local response within a community, and the importance of connections and relationships within communities. What also stood out from the was the hearts of people around us, although some may have less they are more than willing to share.
Ami (not her real name) and her family had been living in a small, two room rental flat in Singapore for years. She had four other siblings, and her mother was the sole breadwinner at home. Her father left them when she was much younger. Annie's mother constantly found it a challenge to remain employed. At times, finances did not allow her to even afford transport to work. Ami was 18 years old, but unlike most other Singaporean youths, she was no longer in school. She struggled with finding employment as well, and was afraid of being placed in new environments at work
Recently, the family's financial difficulties escalated. There were no longer able to afford electricity, nor the housing rental. They were sent countless number of warning letters to inform them that they will be forced to move out if they did not pay their rent. This happened over a span of five months. During that time they were still actively participating in community events where they lived. The children were invited to sports activities and got to know their neighbours through them.
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