The pandemic has caused some hard times on many people around the world.
But one German, who is a Singapore PR, is at his wits’ end after he found himself homeless and having to survive on welfare… a huge step-down from his previous lifestyle where he was pulling in S$12,000 a month as the director of a company.
A Fall from Grace
According to Shin Min Daily News, the 49-year-old man called Thomas is from Karlstadt, Germany.
He arrived in Singapore more than 10 years ago to work in the construction and renovation industry. Eventually, he started a family here and became a Singapore Permanent Resident.
He quitted his previous job and started a firm along with a few partners, earning a more-than-comfortable monthly salary of S$12,000 as the firm’s director.
However, he ended up falling out with his partners and had to resign.
Since then, he has tried to look for a new job but considering how the pandemic has affected the job market, it’s unsurprising that his efforts have come to nought.
From the interview with the Chinese daily, Thomas suspected that no one wanted to take him on mainly because he’s Caucasian and the employers think they would probably need to pay him a much higher salary.
But in reality, he said that he doesn’t mind becoming a cleaner if it means he could earn some money.
Misfortunes Never Come Alone
As if losing one’s job is not enough, Thomas’ marriage ended up in tatters as well.
He had to leave the family flat at Hougang and instead moved in with a friend. However, at one point, he left his friend’s home and has been homeless ever since.
He was seen to be rough sleeping at Block 106 Hougang Avenue 1.
According to the Chinese news outlet, Thomas also doesn’t have his passport with him and that he has some trouble remembering things, such as recent events and his bank account PIN.
It’s likely that he is suffering from some form of mental disorder that needs to be treated.
Thankfully, He Has had Help
Despite having to sleep in parks and other public places for almost a year, Thomas is lucky that he encountered many good Samaritans during the lowest point in his life.
Many kind strangers have donated food. He has also been receiving food from the Man Fut Tong Lin Chee Cheng Sia Temple nearby.
The Hougang Sheng Hong Family Service Centre is giving him some assistance as well, with one social worker stating that due to his mental state, Thomas will have to undergo a health check-up before they can provide better assistance to him.
Thomas himself even said during the interview that although he is embarrassed to contact his relatives in his hometown for help, he would have to swallow his pride and do it if his situation doesn’t improve in the next 3 months.
He is hoping that his relatives could buy plane tickets for him to return to Germany.
The German Embassy in Singapore is also aware of Thomas’ situation.
Image: SkyImages / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purpose only)
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