SINGAPORE – Even when she was on a holiday in Melaka with her husband earlier in 2023, Madam Sarimah Sarip did not have much time to take in the sights. She was busy on her phone.
She was not idly scrolling through social media or chat apps, though, but helping those in need.
An elderly woman in Singapore urgently needed adult diapers and had reached out to Madam Sarimah, 52, for help. The woman has no children to care for her, and felt like she had no one else to turn to.
Said Madam Sarimah, a former nurse: “Just because I am on holiday does not mean that I can turn away people who come to me for help.”
She contacted her family members in Singapore to arrange for diaper delivery to the elderly woman.
Madam Sarimah, who gets such messages throughout the day and night, has spent the last seven years fulfilling requests from underprivileged families, many of them headed by single mothers.
The requests range from groceries to diapers to used clothing and furniture. Some who find it difficult to make ends meet ask for small cash loans for necessities.
Catch up on the news that everyone’s talking about
Thank you!
Sign up
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and T&Cs.
When she receives a request for help, she uploads a post with the details on her Facebook page, under the nickname “Mira Anggun”. Friends and community donors who follow her page then come together to help the beneficiary.
Madam Sarimah does her own checks on the many requests she receives to make sure they are genuine. She tries to understand each family’s situation by chatting with them, asking about other aid they may be receiving, and sometimes visiting their homes to see how they live.
If she finds that the request is not genuine, she sometimes donates a token $100 as a gesture of goodwill, but will not post about the request to make sure her followers are not taken advantage of by those with ill intentions.
Madam Sarimah decided to use her social media page for a good cause after coming across a family in 2016 who needed some help to buy groceries. While delivering the household items to the family of eight, she could not help but notice that the house was in a poor state.
She took to Facebook and put out a call for used furniture donations. To her relief, many stepped up and got the family better furniture.
Rising above adversity: Cash-strapped mums turn to home-based businesses
Residents can have outsized impact on their community through local action: Social workers
Madam Sarimah gets about four requests for help a week. She has about 15 people who are regular donors. Some others who offer help have been beneficiaries in the past.
One woman who used to receive help has now become a donor after getting a stable job.
Madam Sarimah, a mother of five, said running the page is stressful sometimes, especially when deals fall through. In some instances, she would arrange for furniture to be delivered to a beneficiary, only for the beneficiary to become uncontactable on that day.
Despite these occasional hurdles, her desire to make a difference keeps her going.
“Whenever there is an unfulfilled request for help on my page, I can’t sleep peacefully knowing that someone out there is struggling.
“There is a great sense of satisfaction in seeing others benefit through my small help and effort. It is fulfilling when I can make things better for those who are less fortunate.”
Family coach helps family of six work towards financial stability
‘We’re investing in them’: New initiative spurs low-income families to break out of poverty
Unlock unlimited access to ST exclusive content, insights and analyses
ST One Digital - Annual
$9.90 $4.95 /month
Get offer
$59.40 for the first year and $118.80 per year thereafter.
ST One Digital - Monthly
29.90 $9.90 /month
Subscribe today
No lock-in contract
Unlock more knowledge, unlock more benefits
New feature: Stay up to date on important topics and follow your favourite writers with myST All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com Easy access any time via ST app on one mobile device
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Community Social support Donations
Facebook WhatsApp X More Whatsapp Linkedin FB Messenger Telegram Twitter Reddit WeChat Pinterest Print Purchase Article Copy permalink https://str.sg/igqg
Read this subscriber-only article for free!
Just sign up for a free account and log in to continue reading.
Woman connects needy families with community donors through social media posts
Sign up
Already have an account? Log in.
All done! This article is now fully available for you
Woman connects needy families with community donors through social media posts
Read now
Please verify your e-mail to read this subscriber-only article in full
Woman connects needy families with community donors through social media posts
Resend verification e-mail
The gift link for this subscriber-only article has expired.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Subscribe now
You have reached your limit of subscriber-only articles this month.
Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month for the first 3 months.
Subscribe now
Read and win!
Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards
Let's go! Terms & conditions apply
Frequently asked questions
Good job, you've read 3 articles today!
Spin the wheel now
Let's go! Terms & conditions apply
Frequently asked questions