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09 Jul 2024 | Cheryl Ng

From Struggle to Strength: A Single Parent's Journey to Confidence

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“Before Bettr, I thought nothing of myself. Because I did not have an education, and my English was poor. I was from a village and I did not have a lot of money. Though I wanted to continue my education, I could not because I could not afford it. I followed a life with my late husband to Singapore, and whatever I had was all that I had. I felt nothing because I knew nothing. But my life is better now. It is better because I finally know I can be something.” —Yati, Holistic Training Batch 33 Graduate

Meet Yati, 43, who first joined Bettr’s 33rd Cohort of the Bettr flagship Holistic Training (HT) programme in 2023. Yati was from a village in Batam, Indonesia, and moved to Singapore when she married her Singaporean husband. However, in 2014, Yati’s late husband suddenly passed away due to an acute heart condition. Overnight, she became a single parent of 5 children and needed to find a way to support her family.

Due to her lack of education, Yati found herself moving from job to job, feeling powerless and desolate as survival for her family was the priority. 

She was first introduced to Bettr through her daughter’s social worker from Allkin Singapore’s Youth Service, Farah. Though Yati was really interested in becoming a barista, her self-confidence prevented her from jumping in fully.

“Is the coffee course that you want me to join like making drinks at cafes like Starbucks? It sounds so interesting! But to be honest, I do not have the confidence to join because I am easily nervous. I am not confident. What if I cannot do it?” — Yati, recounted the first time she was introduced to the idea of joining the Holistic Training programme at Bettr.

With the encouragement from the Bettr trainer, she enrolled and the more she learnt, the more she got excited about the possibilities as a qualified barista. Yati felt like she was given an opportunity to do something for herself for once.

However, midway through the HT programme, her sister passed in Batam. She rushed home to attend to the proceedings and was transiting between Batam and Singapore after the funeral to ensure her elderly mother, who was left without a caregiver, was taken care of. Yati credited the constant support and encouragement from her counsellor at the Asian Womens’ Welfare Association that really helped her navigate between managing the programme and dealing with the family crisis. When the dust finally settled, she saw strength in her pulling through these difficult chapters.

Her favourite modules on Bettr’s HT programme include bouldering and cycling around Pulau Ubin with her cohort. Despite the physical exhaustion, Yati enjoyed the the physical training elements of the programme most. It was the sense of belonging and ease that she felt with her fellow cohort mates that made this experience unforgettable.

“Before I didn't feel confident. But now I am. Work doesn’t feel like work for me. Everyday, I just feel so happy going to work.”— Yati on her current job as a Barista with Bettr Coffee Service team.

Today, Yati works as a Barista and is a key member of the Bettr Coffee Service team at Temasek HQ. Work is no longer mere survival for Yati, but a space to thrive, and a reminder that it is never too late to change the narrative of your life to be 100% Bettr.

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