Hope Place assists mother in Asajaya struggling to make ends meet

KUCHING: A mother in Asajaya is relying on about RM500 a month from homemade belacan sales to support her three children who are still schooling following her husband’s death in May.

Marita Sa’at, 52, now faces mounting expenses as her daughter Nurul, 20, has received an offer to further her studies at Cyberjaya College after completing her STPM examinations.

While proud of her daughter’s opportunity, Marita worries about meeting the additional costs alongside the schooling needs of her two younger children, aged 10 and 15.

According to Hope Place, her husband died of brain cancer before he could undergo treatment, leaving her to support the children on her modest earnings.

For about a decade, Marita has been making belacan at home using tiny shrimps bought from local fishermen and selling the product to villagers.

“If there’s an abundance of shrimps, business is good, but nowadays, probably because of the ever-changing climate, it’s hard to find the tiny shrimps I want, and so business is very slow,” she said when met by Hope Place.

The business brings in an average of RM500 a month, but the income is no longer enough to cover the family’s needs without her husband’s contribution.

Her two older children provide some financial help, although their own family commitments limit what they can afford.

Hope Place is assisting the family with basic food aid and school supplies to ease the burden as Marita continues working to support her children’s future.

For enquiries or information on contributing, Hope Place, also known as Persatuan Kebajikan Harapan Kuching, can be contacted at 082-505987 or 013-5672775.