She was a production coordinator.

But after two months at home, the divorcee with two children aged 20 and 24 felt restless. She was also anxious about her shrinking retirement savings.

A newspaper advertisement put out by the Dedicated Programme for Single Mothers (DPSM), run by Mendaki's training arm Sense, caught her attention.

It was seeking participants who wanted to apply for jobs.

After a successful interview with K. H. Security, she attended a week-long training course and now works at a commercial building in Jurong.

The security officer's take-home pay is almost $1,200 a month.

She is among 226 single mothers who have been successfully placed in jobs under DPSM. There are 438 single mothers on the programme.

For Madam Sanimah, who has picked up such skills as dealing with bomb threats, fire evacuation and first aid, the programme has given her much-needed peace of mind.

'I can sleep soundly now, even though I take home just over half of what I did before,' she said.

Her employer lets her work on alternate days so she can rest on the days she goes for kidney dialysis, which she does three times a week.

Mendaki staff members check on the women in the programme fortnightly, and recommend courses for them to upgrade their skills.

'It helps that through the programme, we can also discuss our challenges with other single mothers,' said Madam Sanimah.

ZAKIR HUSSAIN