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A 15-year-old girl in Kelantan was forced to leave school and wash cars for RM80 a week to help feed her family after mounting financial difficulties left them struggling to survive
The teenager from Pasir Mas, who is a Form 3 student, took on the work to help support her mother and four younger siblings while their father serves a prison sentence.
According to social activist Abbe Hae, the family's financial struggles had become so severe that the teenager stopped attending school and began washing cars to earn money for rice and other necessities.
Three of her younger siblings, who are of primary school age, were also unable to attend school because of financial constraints and the long distance between their home and the nearest school.
The family's situation worsened after they were forced to leave their rented home due to four months of unpaid rent.
Their landlord subsequently rented the property to another tenant, leaving the mother scrambling to find a place to stay with her children.
Sharing the case on Facebook, Abbe said the children's father is currently serving a prison sentence for a non-drug-related offence
He described the mother as overwhelmed by the challenges facing the family and said he felt compelled to step in despite already supporting multiple underprivileged households each month.
"The Form 3 child is forced to wash cars for a wage of RM80 a week to buy rice and a little food for her mother and younger siblings," he wrote.
Abbe and his team then began searching for a new home located closer to a school so the children could return to school.
They eventually found a vacant rental house nearby and moved the family into the property on Monday, 8 June.
With stable housing secured and a school within reach, the children are now expected to resume their education after months of disruption caused by poverty and housing insecurity.
