<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>11206.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Just 23, she's her family's sole breadwinner
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Kor Kian Beng
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->HEAVY is the burden resting on the shoulders of Miss Jasila Badardin.
But she chooses to view things in a light-hearted way. She downplays her problems and responds to the challenges with smiles, shrugs and girlish chuckles.
But there is no denying the pressure and financial load that Miss Jasila - who turns 23 this year - has to handle compared to many of her peers.
Her parents depend on her. She is an only child and the family's sole breadwinner.
She often accompanies her parents for their medical check-ups. Her father, Mr Badardin Abdul Rahim, 48, is a diabetic. Her mother, Madam Mathin Mirah Abdul Kadir, 47, suffers from epilepsy.
The economic downturn has not helped.
Miss Jasila was jobless for two months until October last year, when she found her current job as a pharmacy assistant with Guardian Pharmacy.
She draws a salary of just over $900 a month. With almost 80 per cent of that going to her parents to cover household and medical expenses, there is little left for her to spend on herself.
Does she ever feel that life is unfair to her, when many other girls her age carry a lesser burden than hers?
'Life is always full of problems. You just have to face it, good or bad,' says Miss Jasila.
'I believe in having confidence, and a positive attitude in facing any problems.'
But there were moments during the hour-long interview at her family's sparsely furnished four-room HDB flat in Bukit Panjang when her bold front cracked.
Twice, Miss Jasila fought back tears as she recalled having to discontinue her studies at an early age and start working to support the family.
She left New Town Secondary School in 2003 after completing her N Levels and spent the next year working part-time in fast-food restaurants to save up for her studies at the Institute of Technical Education.
She was to begin a course there in digital media in August 2005.
But she had to forgo her place when her father quit his job in May that year after his diabetic condition worsened drastically.
Mr Badardin was, at the time, a hotel security supervisor earning a monthly income of about $1,800.
At first, Ms Jasila played down the decision to quit her studies: 'It wasn't tough for me. I knew that I could still study at any age. But if I had continued my studies, there would be no one available to support my parents.
'I'm their only child. If I don't do it, who else will support them?'
Later, as tears rolled down her cheeks, she confessed that there were times when she hid and cried bitterly in her bedroom.
'I didn't want my parents to know that I was crying because I knew they would be hurt,' she says.
Her mother, visibly touched, hugged her and tells The Straits Times that she and her husband are proud to have such a daughter.
'We feel bad that she couldn't study any more. As parents, we wanted her to continue but, unfortunately, both of us couldn't work,' she says.
Since 2005, Miss Jasila has held a string of jobs, including being a waitress, retail assistant and administrative assistant. But these were mostly short stints as her bosses did not confirm her as a full-time employee.
In August last year, she quit her job as an administrative assistant because of her unhappiness over delays in the payment of Central Provident Fund contributions by her employer.
For two months, she struggled to find a job.
She then sought help from the North West Community Development Council, which had been helping the family with cash, food rations, utility bills and supermarket vouchers since November 2005.
Miss Jasila was referred in November last year to Guardian Pharmacy, which hired her as a a pharmacy assistant at the store in the Greenridge Shopping Centre - just a five-minute walk from where she lived.
Two weeks ago, she was informed that the company was confirming her as a full-time employee. She had undergone a two-week, in-house training course for new staff.
Ms Iming Bahari, Guardian Pharmacy's assistant human resources manager, said Miss Jasila has a good working attitude and will do well in the company.
'She is hardworking, eager to learn and possesses good service skills. She also never fails to greet the customers, listen to their queries and recommend them the appropriate products.'
Though Miss Jasila does not say it, the fear of losing her job amid the economic downturn weighs heavily on her mind.
Which is why she surfs the Internet regularly for opportunities to upgrade herself through courses, like those offered by the Workforce Development Agency.
Her desire to succeed is so strong that she does not want to have a boyfriend for the time being. She says: 'I want to do well at my work and learn new things. Every day is a new day for me.'
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</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Kor Kian Beng
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->HEAVY is the burden resting on the shoulders of Miss Jasila Badardin.
But she chooses to view things in a light-hearted way. She downplays her problems and responds to the challenges with smiles, shrugs and girlish chuckles.
But there is no denying the pressure and financial load that Miss Jasila - who turns 23 this year - has to handle compared to many of her peers.
Her parents depend on her. She is an only child and the family's sole breadwinner.
She often accompanies her parents for their medical check-ups. Her father, Mr Badardin Abdul Rahim, 48, is a diabetic. Her mother, Madam Mathin Mirah Abdul Kadir, 47, suffers from epilepsy.
The economic downturn has not helped.
Miss Jasila was jobless for two months until October last year, when she found her current job as a pharmacy assistant with Guardian Pharmacy.
She draws a salary of just over $900 a month. With almost 80 per cent of that going to her parents to cover household and medical expenses, there is little left for her to spend on herself.
Does she ever feel that life is unfair to her, when many other girls her age carry a lesser burden than hers?
'Life is always full of problems. You just have to face it, good or bad,' says Miss Jasila.
'I believe in having confidence, and a positive attitude in facing any problems.'
But there were moments during the hour-long interview at her family's sparsely furnished four-room HDB flat in Bukit Panjang when her bold front cracked.
Twice, Miss Jasila fought back tears as she recalled having to discontinue her studies at an early age and start working to support the family.
She left New Town Secondary School in 2003 after completing her N Levels and spent the next year working part-time in fast-food restaurants to save up for her studies at the Institute of Technical Education.
She was to begin a course there in digital media in August 2005.
But she had to forgo her place when her father quit his job in May that year after his diabetic condition worsened drastically.
Mr Badardin was, at the time, a hotel security supervisor earning a monthly income of about $1,800.
At first, Ms Jasila played down the decision to quit her studies: 'It wasn't tough for me. I knew that I could still study at any age. But if I had continued my studies, there would be no one available to support my parents.
'I'm their only child. If I don't do it, who else will support them?'
Later, as tears rolled down her cheeks, she confessed that there were times when she hid and cried bitterly in her bedroom.
'I didn't want my parents to know that I was crying because I knew they would be hurt,' she says.
Her mother, visibly touched, hugged her and tells The Straits Times that she and her husband are proud to have such a daughter.
'We feel bad that she couldn't study any more. As parents, we wanted her to continue but, unfortunately, both of us couldn't work,' she says.
Since 2005, Miss Jasila has held a string of jobs, including being a waitress, retail assistant and administrative assistant. But these were mostly short stints as her bosses did not confirm her as a full-time employee.
In August last year, she quit her job as an administrative assistant because of her unhappiness over delays in the payment of Central Provident Fund contributions by her employer.
For two months, she struggled to find a job.
She then sought help from the North West Community Development Council, which had been helping the family with cash, food rations, utility bills and supermarket vouchers since November 2005.
Miss Jasila was referred in November last year to Guardian Pharmacy, which hired her as a a pharmacy assistant at the store in the Greenridge Shopping Centre - just a five-minute walk from where she lived.
Two weeks ago, she was informed that the company was confirming her as a full-time employee. She had undergone a two-week, in-house training course for new staff.
Ms Iming Bahari, Guardian Pharmacy's assistant human resources manager, said Miss Jasila has a good working attitude and will do well in the company.
'She is hardworking, eager to learn and possesses good service skills. She also never fails to greet the customers, listen to their queries and recommend them the appropriate products.'
Though Miss Jasila does not say it, the fear of losing her job amid the economic downturn weighs heavily on her mind.
Which is why she surfs the Internet regularly for opportunities to upgrade herself through courses, like those offered by the Workforce Development Agency.
Her desire to succeed is so strong that she does not want to have a boyfriend for the time being. She says: 'I want to do well at my work and learn new things. Every day is a new day for me.'
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