Rising Above Together

Paying it forward

5 January 2022

As a student, Zulayqha Zulkifli received education support. Now she pays it forward by helping disadvantaged families.

Zulayqha smiles while assisting a young girl on a laptop, fostering learning in a home setting.

When Zulayqha Zulkifli was in Secondary 4, she and her three siblings were homeless and slept at void decks for a period of time.

Her parents went through a messy divorce and had sold their marital flat. Things took a turn for the worse when her father lost his job as a technician. Even though he found another job as a cleaner, money remained tight.

"Besides taking on part-time jobs, my siblings and I would gather cardboard boxes and scrap metal to supplement our father’s pay."

Thankfully, her family was granted interim housing by HDB, and they secured a rental flat through the Public Rental Scheme (opens in new tab).

"The housing subsidies helped, because with a roof over our heads, we had the stability to focus on our studies."

Growing up through such adversity only made Zulayqha and her siblings even more determined to turn their circumstances around.

A smiling man and woman in matching "Project Hills" shirts sit in a well-decorated room, waving to the camera.

With hard work and perseverance, Zulayqha received several scholarships when she was at ITE and later, in Nanyang Polytechnic. She went on to pursue a social work degree at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and is currently working as a social work associate.

Now that Zulayqha and her family are in a better place, she wants to help others who are in need. Together with her siblings, Zulayqha started Project Hills – a ground-up initiative that helps residents from rental housing estates. They distribute groceries and clean the homes of those with mobility issues.

Zulayqha and her sibling in masks, giving thumbs-up beside an elderly man holding a green bag at his doorway.

Reflecting on her growing years, Zulayqha knows the importance of lending a helping hand. She’s heartened to see stronger support available for children from lower-income families. For example, KidSTART (opens in new tab), which supports lower-income families to care for their infants and toddlers in their developmental years. There are also UPLIFT (opens in new tab) initiatives, which help students from disadvantaged families achieve their full potential in school.

And Zulayqha is not alone in her mission to help the vulnerable in society.

"Project Hills has a steady pool of 140 volunteers from all walks of life, all united in our belief to be a driving force to pay it forward!"

Zulayqha in a mask taking a selfie with volunteers waving, carrying bags, and preparing supplies in the background.