She had to rebuild her life after losing her husband. Now this mother of 3 helps others find their footing

Helping others has brought Ms Zarina Jaffar purpose, friendships and even a second chance at love, but it has also come with sacrifices at home.

Ms Zarina Jaffar pictured on Oct 7, 2026, at her desk at home where she usually manages her Facebook group, 3R Recycle Sharing is Caring. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)

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There are people who make you feel at home almost as soon as you meet them, and Ms Zarina Jaffar is one of them.

When I arrived at her home in Woodlands, the 58-year-old retiree was sitting on the couch, absorbed in her mobile phone. But the moment she heard me at the door, she looked up, broke into a smile and hurried to welcome me inside.

Her living room was sparsely furnished, but reminders of family were everywhere: photographs of her children receiving awards, toys belonging to her grandchildren, as well as their drawings decorating the doors.

Then, I saw the spread waiting on the dining table.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less To my delight, Ms Zarina had cooked soto ayam for lunch. As a reporter, I am used to interviews across work desks and in meeting rooms, so getting to do one over homemade soup was a rare treat. Ms Zarina, however, seemed more concerned about whether I was eating enough. "Don't be shy, ah," she told me, keeping an eye on my bowl.

To my delight, Ms Zarina had cooked soto ayam for lunch. As a reporter, I am used to interviews across work desks and in meeting rooms, so getting to do one over homemade soup was a rare treat.

Ms Zarina, however, seemed more concerned about whether I was eating enough.

"Don't be shy, ah," she told me, keeping an eye on my bowl.

Ms Zarina Jaffar offering CNA correspondent Vanessa Lim a serving of homemade soto ayam on Oct 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)

By the time lunch was over, I was full, but that did not stop her from packing more food for me to take home.

She told me that this was normal in her home. Whenever she cooks more than her family can finish, she posts on an informal Facebook community she co-founded in 2012, asking if there are any takers.

Sure enough, I spotted a stash of takeaway bags in her kitchen, ready for the next meal to be shared.

At first, it struck me as a sweet family habit. But the longer I spent with Ms Zarina, the more familiar the pattern became.

For the past 14 years, that instinct to share has extended far beyond her dining table.

Through her Facebook group, Ms Zarina and a small group of volunteers have helped hundreds of people with everything from groceries and utility bills to adult diapers and legal advice.

Yet Ms Zarina also knows what it is like to need help herself suddenly.

WHEN LIFE TOOK AN UNEXPECTED TURN

On Jul 14, 2008 , Ms Zarina received a call telling her that her husband, a despatch rider, had been involved in an accident and that she should go to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

"I was quite calm when I reached the hospital," she said, "but then we were told to go to the mortuary, and I realised he was gone."

On the day her husband was buried, her oldest child had to sit for an O-Level paper. There was barely time to grieve.

As her late husband was the family's sole breadwinner, Ms Zarina, who had been a housewife for about 15 years, suddenly had to raise their three children on her own. They were then aged 16, 14 and nine.

"Losing someone just like that, it took me three to six months to come to terms with what was happening," she said.

"I also had to reset my life and my priorities."

In the months that followed, she had to settle her husband's estate, wind down the delivery business they had been building and navigate paperwork she had never handled before.

More immediately, she needed an income. For the first time, she considered seeking financial assistance.

She had some savings and wanted only temporary help, but recalled being questioned about her home and the family's assets. She left without applying.

The experience would later shape her belief that people in crisis sometimes need help not indefinitely, but just long enough to regain their footing.

Ms Zarina Jaffar with her late husband and their three children. (Photo: Zarina Jaffar)

It wasn't until months later that Ms Zarina's grief hit her like a ton of bricks.

"One day, I opened a file belonging to my late husband and it came flooding back to me that he never failed to give me a card for my birthday and Mother's Day every year," she said.

"That's when I started crying uncontrollably."

Eventually, she found work as a relief teacher at a primary school, while her daughter received a Khoo Teck Puat Scholarship in 2011 for her undergraduate studies. After graduating and starting work as a financial analyst, her daughter helped to support her younger son's education.

Those early years after her husband's death, she added, were "very hard", but she had strong family support from her father and her four siblings.

"There are many families (who) do not have this," she said.

That realisation helped guide her approach to 3R Recycle Sharing is Caring, the Facebook community group she helped start in 2012.

FROM GIVING THINGS AWAY TO GIVING BACK

The 3R initiative began almost by accident. After seeing her sister-in-law packing some of her old belongings for an online "blessing" group, Ms Zarina jokingly suggested that she start one herself.

"Within half an hour, she called me and told me that she started her own group and that she would make me an administrative member," Ms Zarina recalled with a laugh.

What started as a platform for giving away unwanted items soon became something more.

The turning point came when Ms Zarina's sister-in-law encountered a cleaner living alone. The group visited the senior, but about a month later, he disappeared.

"Our administrative members started calling the police stations, hospitals ... and then we found out that he had a fall at the bus stop and was very ill, so he was placed in a nursing home," Ms Zarina said.

The episode showed them that their growing network could do more than pass on unused items.

Today, 3R has 14 administrators and a network of ad-hoc volunteers, who help those in need with everything from getting groceries and adult diapers to providing small sums for an EZ-Link fare card or utility bill top-up. Most of these are funded by donors contributing to individual cases.

"If you give me S$10, I make sure you know where your S$10 goes," Ms Zarina said.

Ms Zarina Jaffar managing her Facebook group, which has more than 34,000 members. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)

Much of Ms Zarina Jaffar's work with Facebook group 3R Recycle Sharing is Caring involves responding to messages and coordinating help for those in need. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)

By this point, I had seen plenty of Ms Zarina's softer side. She had fed me, packed food for me and spoken fondly about the families she had come to know.

So when I asked how she decided who genuinely needed help, her answer caught me slightly off guard.

As it turned out, she could also be very firm.

She said that some people expect 3R to help them because they are needy or poor, but she does not fully agree.

Her platform readily helps with a first request for a small amount of cash. But if someone keeps returning, she and the other administrators want to know more.

"Sometimes, you see people with the wrong mentality where they don't want to work or they don't want to work for themselves because they can get free money, easy money," she said.

"When they come to me, I will just tell them off. I have to be firm because I'm holding people's trust."

Ms Zarina recalled people questioning why 3R once helped a family living in an executive maisonette at a public housing estate. The family's 10-year-old daughter had leukaemia and both parents eventually lost their jobs after taking time away to care for her.

"Some of my beneficiaries might seem financially okay (compared to others), but everybody has, at some point in their lives, difficult phases or challenges," she said.

"Like, for me, I lost my husband when my kids were young, so I needed help that time."

In an unexpected way, 3R would also give something back to Ms Zarina.

Several years after the initiative began, a man posted on the Facebook group offering free deliveries to anyone who needed them.

Ms Zarina remembered thinking that he was crazy.

"I was sure many people were going to take advantage of him."

The 3R administrators reached out to him and invited him to volunteer. When another member pulled out of a grocery distribution at the last minute, Ms Zarina ended up meeting the man alone and making the deliveries together.

Expecting a much older man, she was surprised to learn that he was only a year older than her and was struck by how compassionate he was.

That was how Ms Zarina met her future husband Abdul Halim Sam, who worked as a tanker truck driver.

Even though they grew close over the next three years, she never imagined remarrying.

"My kids liked him, and they were the ones who told me that I should settle down with him," she said. "But I wanted to wait until they were older and married."

Shortly after her daughter got married, the pair tied the knot in January 2021.

It was a simple affair with just 20 guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Zarina Jaffar and Mr Abdul Halim Sam (front, seated) tied the knot in 2021, after meeting through volunteer work. (Photo: Zarina Jaffar)

Today, Ms Zarina's children and grandchildren have formed a strong bond with her second husband – close enough to even go on holidays with him when she is not there.

After lunch, I accompanied Ms Zarina to visit someone she has known for more than a decade. Before we left her home, she put together a goodie bag with a whiteboard and some markers.

"Izwan is going to be so excited when he sees the goodie bag," she said, sounding excited herself.

Ms Zarina has known 26-year-old Huzairul Izwan Hussman , who has cerebral palsy, since he was 12, when his mother Zainon Arshad was among those she helped.

Although Madam Zainon died in 2019, Ms Zarina has remained a presence in Mr Izwan's life. Through donated funds, 3R also buys adult diapers for him every month and for many others with similar needs.

When we arrived, Ms Zarina was right about the gift – his eyes lit up as she showed him the bag.

She laughed, moved closer and gently patted his head as she spoke to him in Malay.

Ms Zarina Jaffar (right) visiting Mr Huzairul Izwan Hussman (centre), whom she has known for more than a decade through her work with Facebook community group 3R Recycle Sharing is Caring. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)

Soon, Mr Izwan's helper and Ms Zarina were deep in conversation, chatting with the familiarity of old friends.

I understood almost none of it, but Ms Zarina noticed. Every so often, she turned to translate for me before slipping back into the conversation.

Watching Ms Zarina with Mr Izwan, I could not help noticing how naturally she slipped into the role of caregiver.

Her caregiving ways were not only confined to 3R over the years. She held jobs in the education sector and served as a Residents' Committee manager looking after residents in Nee Soon.

Her own journey as a mother, however, had not always been easy.

After a difficult period in his youth following his father's death, Ms Zarina's oldest son had a brush with the law.

She declined to have details of his offence published, but what followed was a long road towards rebuilding his life.

Once she saw that her son was genuinely trying to turn over a new leaf, she became determined that his past should not define his future.

For about a decade, she wrote to employers, institutions and the authorities whenever his record became an obstacle. There were many rejections along the way, but they did not stop her from trying.

At one workplace, her son became a supervisor in the student care industry within nine months, only to lose the position because of his previous conviction.

"He made the effort to be a better person. I thought it wasn't fair that he wasn’t given a chance," she said.

She added that her son had been employed through the former Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises, now rebranded as Yellow Ribbon Singapore, and his employer knew about his past convictions.

"I refused to give up. So that kept me going and made me fight all the way for him to be where he is now."

Eventually, he found meaningful work at Rainbow Centre, working with children with special needs. He is now pursuing a diploma, hoping to become a full-time special education teacher.

"Now, he can fight for himself," she said proudly. "He can stand up for himself."

When Ms Zarina received the Exemplary Mother Award from Muslim non-profit organisation Jamiyah Singapore in 2025, she learnt that her daughter had secretly nominated her.

Her fight for her son's second chance was among the reasons she was selected.

As our interview wound down, I asked Ms Zarina which she was prouder of: her charity work or what she had done for her son.

Her response came without hesitation.

"Everybody can do charity. I mean, if you give someone in need just S$2, that's also charity, right?

"But what I did for my son … many mothers want to do something for their children, but they are just not sure or they give up easily when they fail. But I refuse to give up."

For all the families Ms Zarina has helped, she still sees herself first as a mother.

Looking back, however, she acknowledged that there were periods when she became so consumed by charity work that her own children may have felt neglected.

"I do kind of feel guilty about not spending enough time with my kids," she said.

"The work we do in 3R can be very overwhelming. I get a lot of messages from people asking for help, even at night, and I try to reply to as many as I can.

"And then, I'm also busy with house visits or making calls or emails on behalf of those who need help."

Ms Zarina Jaffar visiting one of the beneficiaries she helps on Oct 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)

As her children grew older, they came to understand why the work mattered, Ms Zarina said, and her son also supported the charity work.

At 58, she is beginning to slow down, too.

In the early years of 3R, she could make 10 or 15 house visits in a day. Now, even five leave her exhausted.

She has told herself that she might stop when she turns 60.

When she said this, I wasn't entirely convinced, and Ms Zarina didn't sound convinced either.

There is no grand plan for 3R. It was never intended to become a formal organisation, and Ms Zarina does not know exactly what its future holds.

It has evolved with people's needs, and she expects that it will continue to do so.

"I started this to guide myself through my own personal pain, but helping people has really become my life's passion."

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帮助他人给扎里娜·贾法尔女士带来了目标、友谊，甚至还有了第二次恋爱的机会，但同时也带来了家庭方面的牺牲。

2026年10月7日，扎丽娜·贾法尔女士在家中办公桌前，她通常在这里管理她的Facebook群组“3R回收分享即关爱”。（图片：CNA/麦嘉琪）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

有些人一见面就让你感觉宾至如归，扎里娜·贾法尔女士就是其中之一。

当我到达她位于兀兰的家时，这位58岁的退休女士正坐在沙发上，专心致志地玩着手机。但当她听到我敲门时，她抬起头，脸上绽放出笑容，并急忙迎我进屋。

她的客厅家具不多，但到处都充满了家庭的气息：孩子们获奖的照片、孙辈的玩具，以及装饰在门上的孩子们的画作。

然后，我看到了摆在餐桌上的丰盛菜肴。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 令我惊喜的是，扎琳娜女士为我准备了鸡肉汤（soto ayam）作为午餐。作为一名记者，我习惯了在办公桌旁或会议室里进行采访，所以能一边享用自制汤一边采访对我来说是一种难得的享受。然而，扎琳娜女士似乎更关心我是否吃饱了。“别害羞啊，”她一边看着我的碗一边对我说。

令我惊喜的是，扎琳娜女士为我准备了鸡肉汤（soto ayam）作为午餐。作为一名记者，我习惯了在办公桌旁或会议室里进行采访，所以能一边享用自制汤品一边进行采访，真是难得的享受。

然而，扎里娜女士似乎更关心我是否吃得足够多。

“别害羞啊，”她一边看着我的碗一边对我说。

2026年10月7日，扎丽娜·贾法尔女士为亚洲新闻台记者瓦妮莎·林奉上一份自制鸡肉汤。（图片：亚洲新闻台/麦嘉琪）

午饭结束时，我已经吃饱了，但这并没有阻止她为我打包更多食物带回家。

她告诉我，这在她家很正常。每当她做的饭菜超过家人能吃完的量时，她就会在她于2012年共同创立的一个非正式Facebook社群里发帖，询问是否有人愿意帮忙分食。

果然，我在她厨房里发现了一堆外卖袋，准备用来装下一顿饭的食物。

起初，我觉得这只是个温馨的家庭习惯。但随着我和扎琳娜女士相处的时间越长，这种模式就越发让我习以为常。

在过去的14年里，这种分享的本能已经远远超出了她的餐桌范围。

通过她的 Facebook 群组，扎里娜女士和一小群志愿者帮助了数百人，从购买食品杂货和支付水电费到购买成人尿布和提供法律咨询，无所不包。

然而，扎里娜女士也深知自己突然需要帮助的滋味。

当生活发生意想不到的转变

2008 年 7 月 14 日，扎里娜女士接到一个电话，得知她的丈夫（一名快递员）出了事故，她应该去陈笃生医院。

“我到医院的时候还很平静，”她说，“但后来我们被告知要去太平间，我才意识到他已经不在了。”

在她丈夫下葬的那天，她的大儿子还要参加O水准考试。她几乎没有时间悲伤。

由于已故丈夫是家里的唯一经济支柱，做了大约15年家庭主妇的扎里娜女士突然不得不独自抚养三个孩子。当时孩子们分别是16岁、14岁和9岁。

“就这样失去至亲，我花了三到六个月的时间才接受这个事实，”她说。

“我也不得不重新调整我的生活和优先事项。”

在接下来的几个月里，她不得不处理丈夫的遗产，结束他们一直在建立的送货业务，并处理她以前从未处理过的文书工作。

更紧迫的是，她需要一份收入。她第一次考虑寻求经济援助。

她有一些积蓄，只想找份临时工作，但她记得当时有人问起她的住所和家庭资产。她没有申请就离开了。

这段经历后来让她相信，身处危机中的人们有时需要的帮助不是无限期的，而只是足够长的时间来让他们重新站稳脚跟。

扎里娜·贾法尔女士与已故丈夫及三个孩子合影。（照片：扎里娜·贾法尔）

几个月后，扎里娜女士才像被重锤击中一样，悲痛欲绝。

“有一天，我打开了我已故丈夫的一个文件，我突然想起他每年都会在我的生日和母亲节送我贺卡，从未间断过。”她说。

“那时我开始无法控制地哭泣。”

最终，她在小学找到了一份代课老师的工作，而她的女儿在2011年获得了邱德拔奖学金，得以攻读大学本科。毕业后，女儿成为了一名金融分析师，并资助小儿子的学业。

她补充说，丈夫去世后的那几年“非常艰难”，但她得到了父亲和四个兄弟姐妹的大力支持。

她说：“有很多家庭没有这些。”

正是这种认识指导了她对 3R 回收利用分享即关爱（3R Recycle Sharing is Caring）的态度，这是她在 2012 年帮助创立的 Facebook 社区小组。

从赠送物品到回馈社会

3R倡议几乎是偶然开始的。扎里娜女士看到她的嫂子正在打包一些旧物品，准备捐赠给一个线上“祝福”小组，便开玩笑地建议自己也创建一个。

“不到半小时，她就打电话给我，告诉我她成立了自己的团队，并让我担任管理成员，”扎里娜女士笑着回忆道。

最初只是一个赠送闲置物品的平台，但很快就发展成了更重要的东西。

转折点出现在扎琳娜女士的嫂子遇到一位独居的清洁工之后。一行人去探望了这位老人，但大约一个月后，他失踪了。

扎里娜女士说：“我们的行政人员开始打电话给警察局、医院……然后我们发现他在公交车站摔倒了，病得很重，所以他被送进了疗养院。”

这一事件让他们意识到，他们不断壮大的人脉网络不仅可以传递闲置物品，还能做更多的事情。

如今，3R拥有14名管理人员和一个由临时志愿者组成的网络，他们为有需要的人提供各种帮助，从购买食品杂货和成人尿布到提供小额资金用于购买EZ-Link交通卡或充值水电费。这些帮助大多来自捐助者针对具体个案的捐款。

“如果你给我10新元，我会确保你知道这10新元的去向，”扎里娜女士说。

扎丽娜·贾法尔女士正在管理她的脸书群组，该群组拥有超过34000名成员。（图片：CNA/麦嘉琪）

扎丽娜·贾法尔女士在脸书群组“3R回收分享即关爱”中的许多工作都涉及回复信息和协调为有需要的人提供帮助。（图片：CNA/麦嘉琪）

到那时，我已经见识过扎琳娜女士温柔的一面。她给我做饭，给我打包食物，还亲切地谈起她认识的那些家庭。

所以当我问她如何决定谁真正需要帮助时，她的回答让我有点措手不及。

事实证明，她也可以非常坚定。

她说，有些人因为贫困或需要帮助而期望 3R 组织帮助他们，但她并不完全同意这种观点。

她的平台很乐意帮助用户首次申请小额现金。但如果有人反复申请，她和其他管理员就会想了解更多信息。

“有时候你会看到一些人心态不对，他们不想工作，或者不想自己创业，因为他们可以轻易获得免费的钱，”她说。

“如果他们来找我，我会直接训斥他们。我必须态度坚决，因为我肩负着大家的信任。”

扎里娜女士回忆说，曾有人质疑3R为何帮助过一个住在公共屋邨高档复式公寓的家庭。这个家庭10岁的女儿患有白血病，父母为了照顾她而暂时离开工作岗位，最终双双失业。

“我的一些受益人看起来经济状况还不错（与其他人相比），但每个人在人生的某个阶段都会遇到困难或挑战，”她说。

“比如，我丈夫去世的时候，孩子们还小，所以我当时需要帮助。”

出乎意料的是，3R 也将以某种方式回馈给扎里娜女士。

该计划启动几年后，一名男子在 Facebook 群组上发帖表示，愿意为任何需要的人提供免费送货服务。

扎里娜女士记得当时她觉得他疯了。

“我确信很多人会利用他。”

3R 的管理人员联系了他，邀请他做志愿者。后来，另一位成员在最后一刻退出了食品分发活动，扎里娜女士最终独自一人与这位男士见面，一起完成了配送工作。

她原本以为会见到一位年纪大很多的男士，却惊讶地发现他只比她大一岁，而且他非常富有同情心，这让她印象深刻。

扎里娜女士就是这样认识了她未来的丈夫阿卜杜勒·哈利姆·萨姆，他当时是一名油罐车司机。

尽管在接下来的三年里他们关系变得亲密，但她从未想过再婚。

“我的孩子们很喜欢他，是他们劝我跟他结婚的，”她说。“但我希望等到他们长大结婚后再结婚。”

女儿结婚后不久，两人于 2021 年 1 月喜结连理。

由于新冠疫情的影响，婚礼规模很小，只邀请了20位宾客。

扎里娜·贾法尔女士和阿卜杜勒·哈利姆·萨姆先生（前排就座者）于2021年喜结连理，两人因志愿工作相识。（照片：扎里娜·贾法尔）

如今，扎里娜女士的子女和孙辈与她的第二任丈夫建立了深厚的感情——亲密到即使她不在身边，他们也会和他一起度假。

午饭后，我陪同扎琳娜女士去拜访一位她认识了十多年的朋友。临走前，她准备了一个礼品袋，里面装着一块白板和一些马克笔。

“伊兹万看到礼品袋一定会非常兴奋的，”她说，听起来她自己也很兴奋。

扎里娜女士从胡扎伊鲁尔·伊兹万·胡斯曼（现年 26 岁，患有脑瘫）12 岁起就认识他了，当时他的母亲扎伊农·阿尔沙德是她帮助过的人之一。

尽管扎伊农女士已于2019年去世，但扎里娜女士仍然在伊兹万先生的生活中扮演着重要的角色。通过捐款，3R组织每月都会为他以及许多其他有类似需求的人购买成人尿布。

我们到达时，扎里娜女士对礼物的判断是正确的——当她向他展示袋子时，他的眼睛亮了起来。

她笑着走近他，一边用马来语和他说话，一边轻轻地拍了拍他的头。

扎丽娜·贾法尔女士（右）拜访胡扎伊鲁尔·伊兹万·胡斯曼先生（中），她与胡斯曼先生相识十余年，两人因在脸书社群“3R回收分享即关爱”中的工作而结缘。（图片：CNA/麦嘉琪）

很快，伊兹万先生的助手和扎里娜女士就聊得热火朝天，像老朋友一样亲切地交谈着。

我几乎一句都没听懂，但扎琳娜女士注意到了。她时不时地转过头来帮我翻译，然后再回到谈话中去。

看着扎里娜女士和伊兹万先生在一起，我不禁注意到她是如何自然而然地扮演起照顾者的角色来的。

多年来，她的照护工作不仅限于3R项目。她曾在教育界工作，并担任义顺居民委员会经理，负责照顾居民。

然而，她自己的母亲之路并非一帆风顺。

父亲去世后，扎里娜女士的长子在青年时期经历了一段艰难时期，期间还曾触犯过法律。

她拒绝公开他犯罪的细节，但接下来他却经历了一段漫长的重建生活之路。

当她看到儿子真心想要改过自新时，她就下定决心不让他的过去决定他的未来。

在长达十年的时间里，每当他的过往记录成为她求职的障碍时，她都会写信给雇主、机构和有关部门。一路上，她屡遭拒绝，但这并没有阻止她继续尝试。

在她儿子工作的某个岗位上，他仅用了九个月就成为了学生辅导行业的督导员，但后来却因为之前的犯罪记录而失去了这份工作。

“他努力想成为一个更好的人。我觉得他没得到机会很不公平，”她说。

她补充说，她的儿子曾受雇于新加坡康复企业公司（现已更名为新加坡黄丝带组织），他的雇主知道他过去的犯罪记录。

“我拒绝放弃。正是这种信念支撑着我一路走来，让他取得了今天的成就。”

最终，他在彩虹中心找到了一份有意义的工作，与有特殊需要的孩子们一起工作。他现在正在攻读文凭，希望成为一名全职特殊教育教师。

“现在，他可以为自己而战了，”她自豪地说。“他可以保护自己了。”

2025年，当扎丽娜女士从穆斯林非营利组织新加坡贾米亚（Jamiyah Singapore）获得“模范母亲奖”时，她才知道是她的女儿偷偷提名了她。

她为儿子争取第二次机会的努力是她被选中的原因之一。

采访接近尾声时，我问扎里娜女士，她更引以为豪的是她的慈善工作，还是她为儿子所做的一切。

她的回答毫不犹豫。

“每个人都可以做慈善。我的意思是，如果你给有需要的人2新元，那也是慈善，对吧？”

“但我为儿子所做的一切……很多母亲都想为孩子做些什么，但她们往往犹豫不决，或者失败后就轻易放弃。但我绝不放弃。”

尽管扎里娜女士帮助过许多家庭，但她始终认为自己首先是一位母亲。

但回首往事，她承认自己曾有一段时间全身心投入慈善工作，以至于自己的孩子可能感到被忽视了。

“我确实有点内疚，因为我没有花足够的时间陪伴我的孩子，”她说。

“我们在3R部门所做的工作可能非常繁重。我经常收到人们的求助信息，即使是在晚上，我也会尽力回复尽可能多的信息。”

“此外，我还忙于家访、打电话或发邮件，帮助那些需要帮助的人。”

2026年10月7日，扎丽娜·贾法尔女士探望了她帮助的一位受助者。（图片：CNA/麦嘉琪）

扎里娜女士说，随着孩子们长大，他们逐渐理解了这项工作的意义，她的儿子也支持这项慈善工作。

她今年58岁了，也开始放慢脚步了。

在3R项目的早期，她一天可以进行10到15次家访。现在，即使只做5次家访也会让她筋疲力尽。

她告诉自己，她可能会在60岁时停止工作。

她说这话的时候，我并不完全相信，扎里娜女士听起来也并不相信。

3R并没有什么宏伟的计划。它从来就没打算成为一个正式的组织，扎里娜女士也不知道它的未来会怎样。

它随着人们的需求而发展，她预计它还会继续发展。

“我最初是为了帮助自己走出个人痛苦而开始做这件事，但帮助别人已经真正成为了我毕生的热情所在。”

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