At 89, she helps recovering drug addicts reconnect with families

Madam Khaw Seow Wah playing worship songs with Pastor Simon Neo (seated with guitar) as well as residents and staff of Christian halfway house Breakthrough Missions. Madam Khaw, a long-time volunteer at the halfway house, has helped to reconcile more
Madam Khaw Seow Wah playing worship songs with Pastor Simon Neo (seated with guitar) as well as residents and staff of Christian halfway house Breakthrough Missions. Madam Khaw, a long-time volunteer at the halfway house, has helped to reconcile more than 200 former drug addicts with their families. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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Some call Madam Khaw Seow Wah a bearer of good news. For the past 30 years, the long-time volunteer with Christian halfway house Breakthrough Missions has been knocking on the doors of the families of recovering drug addicts.

"Many of these families were let down by (the addicts') drug abusing ways and did not want to have anything to do with them," said the 89-year-old in Mandarin.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 26, 2019, with the headline At 89, she helps recovering drug addicts reconnect with families. Subscribe