Liyana Dhamirah ,33
The author of Homeless: The Untold Story of a Mother’s Struggle in Crazy Rich Singapore, hopes to shed light on issues of single parenthood and homelessness.
I also hope to see a more understanding society, and more people coming forward to help the marginalised.
Ilearnt that in prosperous Singapore, homeless folks were not always identifiable by appearance. Eleven years ago, I was homeless and living in a tent on Sembawang beach and West Coast Park, with my ex-husband and two young children, after we were kicked out of the house due to a family disagreement.
Those three months were the lowest point of my life: I was pregnant with my third child then, and had $5.25 left in my bank account... I didn’t have enough to buy milk powder for my baby. Then, I also discovered a community of people and families who were homeless. Despite the difficult times, there was a community spirit among us. We shared food and watched out for one another, even when there were raids. My predicament was later discovered by journalists and we were moved to a shelter. To make some money, I sold handmade trinkets on a blogshop. The taste of entrepreneurship encouraged me to set up a home-based business in 2013, Virtual Assistants Singapore, to provide individuals with a platform to earn income through home-based work. Although things have looked up for me for several years now, I will never forget the hardship and what I went through 11 years ago. Last year, I penned the book, Homeless: The Untold Story of a Mother’s Strugglein Crazy Rich Singapore. I want my story to shed light on issues of single parenthood and homelessness. I also hope to see a more understanding society, and more people coming forward to help the marginalised.