Mr Jaffar, the sole breadwinner

“I hope they grow up to be someone worthy and make it through to university.”

Grandfather, father, uncle, brother-in-law, and breadwinner. At the age of 74, Mr Jaffar bin Ibrahim takes on various roles to feed his family of 14. He works tirelessly as a cleaner at Tanjong Katong Complex, earning a monthly salary of $900 to look after his family, including his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, one of whom is an infant.

His daughter was sentenced to prison in 2014, leaving two of her children under the care of Mr Jaffar. Living with 14 people cramped in a one-bedroom flat is incredibly stressful as the house is often cluttered, with little space for him and his family.

“I’m frustrated with the situation at home, but I have to be patient since these children have no place to stay.”

Despite the misfortunes, Mr Jaffar remains optimistic about the future. He works hard to ensure that his grandchildren can attend school and have an education.

Mr Jaffar’s grandchildren are part of our Early Reader Programme where Learning Friends visit their homes weekly to conduct reading sessions. The sessions not only help to improve their reading but also their pro-social skills and helps to boost their self-confidence. His daughter has also benefited from our in-prison programme where she has learned skills to learn how to strengthen her bonds with her family.

Since her release and equipped with her newfound parenting skills and newfound confidence, his daughter has successfully reintegrated back into society and lives in her own HDB flat with her children. Mr Jaffar and his family has made it through some tough times and have since rebuilt their lives, looking forward to the future with hopeful hearts.

Watch the video below to learn more about Mr Jaffar and his family.