We know how tough it can be to raise a family as a single mother. 79-year-old Madam Mageswari Moorthy, often referred to affectionately as Aunty Moorthy, is seen as a go-to-person for many single mothers from Johor Bahru’s Indian community. She has devoted close to two decades of her life to helping these women rebuild their lives and provide for their families after their husbands left them or had passed away.
“I was an English teacher for fourteen years before I decided to start my community outreach programme. It was launched in 2004 by then Johor Women and Family Exco Dr. Rubiah and, with their support, I ensured single mothers will get the help they need,” said Aunty Moorthy.
She sees to it that these women are registered for welfare aid and with the help of the government support, they receive monthly provisions as well as free sewing classes to make themselves self-reliant in the future. Aunty Moorthy also conducts other support activities such as teaching these women how to grow their own vegetables, manage finances as well as providing them with counselling.
“I was inspired by my spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba who told his devotees that prayer alone is pointless without serving the people,” added Aunty Moorthy.
She has received much recognition for her charitable efforts including a Tokoh Wanita award in 2012. Even with all these accolades to her name, Aunty Moorthy remains humble and knows the work she does would be impossible without the support of those who believe in her. Her official NGO, Mahilas, was incorporated in 2017 with aims to help more single mothers from the Indian community of Johor.
