I recently had a conversation with my Johor girlfriend about her struggles as a single mother.
She was telling me about how she’s trying to save money and how she’s been looking for a Singaporean to take care of her child for a lower cost. At first, I was shocked to hear her say this. It seemed like she was taking advantage of Singaporeans just because we have a better currency.
I asked her why she was doing this and she said that she was just trying to save money and make ends meet. She said that she was looking for a Singaporean because she knew they would be more reliable and less likely to take advantage of her. She said that it was her only option and that she was desperate.
I felt really bad for her and I wanted to help.
However, I couldn’t help her directly since I was in Singapore and she was in Johor. So, I asked her if there was anything else I could do to help.
That’s when she told me about her plan. She said that if she could find a Singaporean who was willing to take care of her child for a lower cost, she would be able to save money and pay her bills. She said that she was desperate and this seemed like the only way she could make it work.
I was appalled to hear her say this. I couldn’t believe that she was willing to take advantage of Singaporeans just because we have a better currency. I told her that just because we have a better currency doesn’t mean that we should get exploited.
I told her that she should find someone who is willing to help her out of the kindness of their heart, not just because they are getting paid less.