A Guide for Single Mothers - NTUC

Stories From The HeartSeema said she did her her best to reconcile the marriage, evengetting counselling from the family court but unfortunatelythings did not work out. She finally divorced her husband in2003.Although Seema admitted that there were a lot of problemsgoing through the divorce, she faced even greater challengestrying to put her life back together after the ordeal.One of her biggest tasks was to provide a new home for herfamily. Even over the phone, you could still hear the anxiety inher voice as she remembered the incident: “We had to sell ourmatrimonial flat. I had very little CPF money at that time andI was not getting the loan I needed for a new flat as it was mythird time buying a home. My previoushomes were all purchased with my exhusband.It was a difficult time for us.”In fact, Seema was very reluctant to sellthe matrimonial flat and tried to dragthe procedure although she knew it wasunfair to her ex-husband. The immediateworry of not having a home for herfamily wore her down at that point.“I feared that I would be left without ahome for my children because I couldn’tget a loan,” she explained.However, Seema did not give up easily.She was determined that her childrenwould get a proper home at all costs.As a single payer,it’s harder tomake the paymentsfor my housingloan. However, Ican depend on thetalks and forums bythe NTUC Women’sDevelopmentSecretariat to helpme manage myfinances better.”21