Every day, be it rain or shine, Azimah Abd Rahim and her eight-year-old daughter would precariously zigzag their way through traffic on a motorcycle while delivering food orders.
Behind this touching scene however, lies a heartbreaking story of a mother simply trying to provide a better life for herself and her disabled daughter.
Struggling to get by
Speaking to NST, Azimah said she and her husband divorced years ago, leaving her penniless and jobless.
My ex-husband did give me a monthly allowance, but because of his poor health, it was very little and barely covered anything.
My expenses aren’t limited to food and shelter. I also need money for my child’s schooling, therapy and hospital visits.”
Azimah also revealed that her daughter is blind, autistic, and suffers from G6PD deficiency, a genetic condition that requires careful medical management.
Judgmental comments
During the Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO), Azimah became a food delivery rider after welfare assistance didn’t come in on time.
“Funds from the Social Welfare Department did not come in for months. Diapers, milk, everything was running out. I was desperate. I even borrowed money to register as a rider,” she added.
Azimah’s journey as a delivery rider was also fraught with hurtful comments from customers, who often lash out whenever they see her young daughter tagging along.
“They ask, ‘What’s wrong with you? Don’t you love your child?’ I just ignore them. Some even say, ‘If you don’t love your child, you might as well die.’“
She said her decision to bring her daughter with her was due to past mistreatment by several babysitters.
“It’s not that I don’t want to send her to a babysitter. Every evening when I came home, I saw bruises from her neck down to her feet. When I asked what happened, the babysitter said she had fallen.
Later, during a hospital appointment, the doctor told me, ‘These aren’t fall injuries. These are pinch marks.’ Ever since then, I’ve taken care of her myself,” she said.
Soldiering on
Currently, Azimah earns between RM500 and RM700 a month and receives RM600 in zakat assistance, with a majority of it being spent on rent, hospital visits, therapy and other essential expenses.
She admitted that while working as a delivery rider is dangerous, it has at least preventing her and her daughter from going hungry.
Azimah, who is diagnosed with depression, added that her welfare aid was discontinued after she received zakat assistance.
She expressed hope that the government will review its aid policies and provide targeted support for single mothers raising disabled children.
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