Dear Friends of WMD
I'm sure you have heard about Madam Rokiah, the 47-year-old widow of Mr Ahmad Lispa. Mr Ahmad was killed on 17 July when a crane smashed into the upper deck of the bus he was in.
Mr Ahmad is survived by his wife Madam Rokiah, who suffers from kidney failure, and their four sons, all of whom have health issues. Their eldest son is a patient at IMH. Their second son is in a special needs school. Their third son has kidney failure like his mother, and their youngest is being tested for IQ and kidney problems.
Mr Ahmad did not have a regular paycheck — his last pay as a part time cleaner was $300.
Madam Rokiah and the boys are supported in kind by the CDC and National Kidney Foundation, and have their medical and transport needs met. But now with Mr Ahmad gone, they do not have any means of financial support.
Her story has touched many Singaporeans, and it was reported that $20,000 in cash has been raised for this family, apart from many food items that have been donated to them.
WMD's mission is to help women and children who cannot help themselves, and Madam Rokiah and her boys are exactly that.
We feel that although Madam Rokiah has a lump sum now, that amount will be used up eventually, and she will still need financial support on a monthly basis.
We are therefore kickstarting a campaign to get as many people as possible to commit to supporting Madam Rokiah for 24 months with a monthly sum.
You can donate $30, $50 or $100 on a monthly basis to Madam Rokiah, direct to her account. WMD hopes that you will pledge to create a standing instruction with your bank to credit her DBS Account with this sum every month.
WMD will not be processing any donations through our account, so your donation directly reaches Madam Rokiah and her sons.
We hope to find at least 30 people to pledge 2 years of support for her.
What WMD will do is:
1. Record the names, mobile numbers and emails of those who have pledged. We will present this list to Madam Rokiah so that she knows that at least 30 people in Singapore think of her every month and will actively help her.
2. The WMD administrator of this campaign, Carol Loi, will send an email reminder every month to you regarding your pledge and to let you know how many months you have helped Madam Rokiah.
3. We will work to provide you updates on Madam Rokiah and her family every quarter or half a year, so you know what is going on in their lives and how you have become an important part of their daily existence.
Your commitment* will be:
• $30 x 24 months: $720
• $50 x 24 month: $1200
• $100 x 24 months: $2400
You are most welcome to give more than our suggested amounts, and for longer than 2 years. We hope to keep growing this campaign with new donors so that we can continue to provide financial aid to Madam Rokiah as her children grow up.
If we get 30 people donating $30 monthly, Madam Rokiah will receive $900 in her account every month for her and her children's daily needs for 2 years.
How to proceed:
1. Reply to Carol Loi and myself (Carol's email is carol.loi.puiwan@gmail.com) if you are interested
2. State the amount you are able to commit ($30, $50 or $100 or more) for two years. This counts as your pledge.
3. Include your full name, mobile number, email address.
4. Pass this email on to people whom you think may be keen to support this.
Once your pledge has been received, Carol will send you an email to explain how to activate standing instructions from your DBS account so that your bank automatically transfers your pledge monthly amount to Madam Rokiah's DBS account for a period of 2 years.
If you do not have a DBS account, please let us know. Different banks have different methods to allow for standing instructions. Some may require you to fill in a form at the bank.
WMD hopes to activate the donations by 15 August, and to present our donors list to Madam Rokiah by then.
I hope you will help WMD to help Madam Rokiah. $30 may not be a huge sum, but if we each give, it becomes an amount that can change her life and the lives of her children.
Please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.
*As WMD is not a registered charity but a Non-Profit Organisation, donors will not receive tax deduction on their donations to Madam Rokiah.
Many thanks, and may your good deed beget more good deeds!
Theresa Tan
Co-founder
Women Make a Difference
