In Subang Perdana, a Malaysia Indian mother of four is doing her best to survive — raising her children alone while managing chronic asthma and unpaid rent.
Her youngest is only three. Her home is crumbling, and with 4 months of rent overdue, the landlord has warned that they may soon be evicted.
Revathi (not her real name) is a single mother who’s lived in this rental house for a few years, as mentioned by Maneesha, a social worker who reached out to IRL to share about Reva’s situation.
It’s a modest rental apartment — enough space for her and the children, but visibly worn. The front gate is broken. The bathroom has no door. Inside, the walls are marked with peeling paint and faded patches of wallpaper coming undone from years of damp and wear.
Yet, despite these conditions, every month, she tries to make the RM750 rental payment. She’s currently 4 months behind on her payment, which means she’s at a sizable RM3,000 in debt.
Some months she can’t, and the landlord has started pressing her to move out. But with no savings, four young dependents, and nowhere else to go — leaving isn’t something she can afford either.
She Battles Severe Asthma, But Still Tries to Earn What She Can
Revathi’s health is another challenge layered onto her responsibilities. She has chronic asthma — the kind that flares up daily.
She uses an inhaler regularly and often feels breathless even while doing simple household tasks. Walking long distances is difficult, and on some days, she says, “even talking too much makes me breathless.”
Because of her condition — and with no one to care for her youngest child, who’s only three — Revathi can’t take on full-time work outside the house.
Instead, she packs stationery like colour pencils and small items from home. It pays just RM500 a month, and even that comes inconsistently.
She’s willing to do more. “If there’s any work from home, I will do — packing, admin, cleaning also can,” she shares.
All she needs is a way to earn without leaving her children behind.
Her Children Want to Study — But Their Schooling Is Falling Behind
Revathi’s four children range from a curious toddler to a bright teenager — Sarjun (3), Keshav (7), Sanjay (10), and Sohniya (14). Despite everything, they’re active, hopeful, and eager to learn.
Three of them are currently attending school, but even that is becoming harder to maintain. Their school transport fees — RM150 per child — have been unpaid for five months.
With arrears piling up, there’s a real risk they may no longer be allowed on the van. Uniforms and school meals are also becoming difficult to afford.
Sohniya, the eldest, is artistic and enjoys dancing. Sanjay is the most active, always talking about football, while Keshav loves pretending to fix things around the house and says he wants to be a mechanic one day. Sarjun, the youngest, isn’t in school yet — but watches his siblings and copies everything they do.
Revathi worries every day that her children’s education will be interrupted — not because they don’t want to study, but because she simply can’t keep up with the costs.
She’s Doing Her Best — But It’s Not Enough Anymore
Revathi doesn’t receive help from her extended family, and she prefers not to speak about her husband, who does not contribute to the household.
What little assistance she’s had came after a volunteer reached out to Kembara Kitchen, a local NGO. They visited her home a few weeks ago and provided some groceries — a gesture she’s incredibly grateful for. But with four children to feed, the food runs out quickly.
Each month, she tries to piece together whatever income she can to cover rent, meals, and her children’s school expenses. With only RM500 coming in from her part-time work, it’s simply not enough.
The school van fees have been pending for five months, and her rent is already overdue. She estimates that it would take around RM1,500 to RM2,000 a month just to keep things going — enough for food, school transport, utilities, and rent.
What Revathi hopes for most of all is a chance to earn a stable income from home. She’s open to doing packing jobs, admin work, or even light cleaning tasks that can be done remotely.
She has a phone, and she’s willing to work — but without childcare and with her asthma condition, working outside the home is simply not possible right now.
She doesn’t ask for much. She just wants the chance to keep her children in school, to pay rent on time, and to put enough food on the table so her kids don’t have to go to sleep hungry.
What You Can Do To Help
If you are moved by Revathi’s story, please consider sharing it with friends, family, or on social media. Sometimes, a simple share is all it takes for a story to reach the right person — someone who can offer a job, donate, or connect her to the resources she needs.
Even a little support can mean everything when you have four young lives depending on you. If you can offer support for groceries or school transportation, she would be grateful as well.
If you would like to help out financially, here is Revathi’s information:
Name: Maneesha
Contact number: 01126295328
Address: 01-10 Block C, Taman Subang Perdana, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Bank account number: 7057156885
Bank account owner name: Maneesha
Bank name: CIMB
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