Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 11:32 AM
On 9Feb2010 National Achives of Singapore gave Joyce an interview on her works in Wicare.
It was a meaningful interview because there were moments when she actually took a while to answer. She realised that these were important questions that set her thinking about her direction for the next lap of her life.
Image of the Interview CD by National Achives Oral History Centre
Labels: social
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 9:58 PM
Widows are often stereotyped as individuals constantly hanging onto the past. But Wicare founder Joyce Lye and her members seek to change this. She tells SALT Online what inspired her to start the group and the obstacles she had to overcome.
By ELIZABETH LAW
July 23, 2010
Within moments of meeting Joyce Lye, one is immediately put at ease. The 58-year-old founder of Wicare Support Group calls out your name from across the room and warmly greets you with a hug.
In 1985, Lye lost her husband in a horrific car crash that left her in a coma for three days. After regaining consciousness, she was in a state of denial for a long while but slowly began to come to terms with her loss through religion.
In church, she was constantly approached to help other widows through their grief, “since you’ve been through it too”. Not really knowing what to do, she decided one day to gather a group of widows for an informal meeting at a City Hall coffeehouse.
“There were five of us, and I could only afford one ice kachang for all of us. As we ate, we started talking about our struggles as widows and before long, we were all in tears. That bowl of ice kachang changed my life forever.”
It was from that session that Lye decided to set up a support group for widows because “it takes a widow to know a widow”.
Today, the group has a mailing list of over 600 women who gather regularly for support groups and workshops on things like beauty care, dressing for an interview and even financial management. The group also caters to the children of such widows and offers courses and bursaries.
Lye plans to make the group self-sustainable and hopes to one day have a Wicare Foundation Fund though she maintains that the success of Wicare today has come at a price.
“When I was out there comforting these widows who had just lost their husbands, I couldn’t be there for my daughters who also lost their father.”
She has two grown up children, Debra, a stylist, and Melissa, a cook. While they have long come to terms with their father’s sudden death, there are times when they wonder what it would have been like growing up with a father. Said Lye, “Melissa once told me, ‘Mum, while I’m thankful for what I have, sometimes I still lie awake at night and wonder’. Even though they’ve grown to be really strong and resilient through the experience, it still breaks my heart that they had to go through this.”
The sacrifice has paid off because Lye was awarded the President’s Social Service Award in 2009, which she is thankful for because it has given Wicare more publicity. Through that, there have been many more widows coming forward, which is a good sign because “half the battle is won when you ask for help”.
According to Lye, many a times these women just want someone to listen and empathise without judgment.
“Most times, people don’t understand how difficult it is losing your life partner. It is picking up the pieces, and making little decisions like what to eat for dinner that are the hardest.”
While she has plans to one day make Wicare international, she hopes that the group would stay the size it is today. She added with a chuckle, “It would be a terrible thing if Wicare gets too big, since it’ll mean all the good men in Singapore are dead!”
Humor aside, there is one lesson that she has learned and tries to impart to all her members.
“Time doesn’t heal. It’s what you do with time that does.”
The article can be found here: http://salt.org.sg/articles_list/detail/4c4811d2-4c68-4141-8f5c-1ac87c3410df
Friday, July 23, 2010 at 4:12 PM
Joyce enjoys flower arrangement, and accepts projects on a freelance basis. She particularly enjoys arranging with orchids for their color and vibrancy.
[Updates]
Labels: Personal Projects
Friday, July 16, 2010 at 12:55 AM
Date : Saturday, 28 Aug 2010
Venue : Wicare@Bishan
9 Bishan Place
#08-01
Singapore 579837
Time : 2.30 – 6.00pm
This is offered to all widows who are ready to step out to help others. This is conducted for a group of ten or more each session.
Please call Jessica at 63542475 for registration
Labels: events
at 12:50 AM
Date : Saturday, 17 July 2010
Venue : Wicare@Bishan
9 Bishan Place
#08-01
Singapore 579837
Time : 2.30 – 5.30pm
Speaker : Ms Pauline Ang
About Speaker : -
She received her primary, secondary and Pre-University education at St Nicholas Girls’ School and read law at the then University of Singapore. She has been in law practice since her graduation and her main areas of practice include registration of companies and societies, corporate secretarial services and wills.
She holds a LRSM (Performance Certificate, Royal School of Music) and is a music lover. She is a member of the Hallelujah Oratorio Society and serves as the Conductor of Singapore Life Church Children’s Choir. She is also a member of the Advisory Council, Peacehaven Nursing Home, Singapore Salvation Army and serves as Legal Advisor to various charitable societies and churches. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Teochew, Hokkien and Cantonese.
Her husband, Elder Harry Sim passed on very suddenly on 6 July 2006, leaving behind their 3 sons.
WHY SHOULD I MAKE A WILL?
-What happens if I die without making a Will?
-How should I make a Will?
- Can I amend or revoke my Will?
Labels: events
at 12:37 AM
Joyce
The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. (1 Timothy 5:5)
Joyce Lye, founder of WiCare Support Group, has been inspirational to countless...
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