After leaving her abusive marriage, Ms Le Thi Lanh, 42, would spend hours inside a temple. Some days, she prayed. Other days, she cried. What frightened her most was not knowing how she would raise her two children on her own.
“As a single mother, the hardest part was managing my lack of financial resources while juggling childcare and other responsibilities,” said Ms Le, who lives in Hue, central Vietnam, with her children aged nine and 10. “There were days I felt completely helpless and desperate.”
Across Southeast Asia, many people face barriers to stable work and financial security. Single mothers often struggle to balance caregiving responsibilities with earning an income, while persons with disabilities (PWDs) may contend with social stigma, inaccessible workplaces and limited opportunities.
For both groups, access to meaningful work can be transformative – offering not only financial stability, but also greater confidence, independence and hope for the future.
FINDING A WAY FORWARD
One afternoon, while sitting outside a grocery stall, Ms Le noticed a Grab rider passing by and decided to try the work for herself. A week after joining Grab, she began ferrying passengers on the back of her motorbike. “Once I got used to the job, I felt excited because its flexible nature allowed me to take care of my children,” she shared.
Today, Ms Le is able to cover her household expenses while saving for her children’s college education. Her story is one of several featured in Unbroken, a documentary that follows women rebuilding their lives on their own terms.
In Indonesia, Ms Rosianna Sormin, a single mother of two who prefers to be known as Ms Ros, found a similar lifeline through her work as a Grab driver-partner.
The transition was not easy. There were days when Ms Ros, 44, questioned whether she could cope with the demands of raising a family alone. Over time, however, she came to value the flexibility of the work, which allowed her to balance earning an income with caring for her children, aged eight and 10.
What began as a way to make ends meet eventually became something more. Ms Ros started a group chat with fellow single mothers working as delivery riders, which has since grown into a support network for women navigating parenting on their own.
Ms Ros’s experience reflects a broader challenge faced by many women starting over after separation or divorce: regaining financial independence.
Ms Maureen Hitipeuw, founder of Single Moms Indonesia, which runs programmes aimed at helping women regain confidence, said financial independence is often the first step.
“Many of these women have not only lost their husband, but also their sense of identity. Meanwhile, there are children who still need their mother,” she said. “These women have power – they just need to be reminded of it.”
STEPPING TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE
While their circumstances may differ, PWDs often face employment barriers of their own. Many are judged on their disabilities before they have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.
Research shows that PWDs in the region are up to six times more likely to be unemployed, while around 75 per cent of those who work have no regular income. Hiring bias and inaccessible work environments also make it difficult to secure stable employment, even for those who are qualified and willing to work.
After years of questioning why his dwarfism set him apart from others, Mr Badrolshah, 44, now wants to challenge perceptions of what PWDs can achieve. A member of PPEOFM, the Malaysian Association of Disabled E-Hailing Drivers, he hopes to show that disability does not define a person’s potential.
“To me, PWD stands for ‘people with determination’,” he said. “Nothing is easy, everything is difficult. But we can do it.”
Ms Teong Siew Queen, vice-president of PPEOFM, uses a wheelchair as a result of childhood polio. Like Mr Badrolshah, the 59-year-old grew up acutely aware of how others viewed her disability – an experience that strengthened her resolve to push for greater inclusivity. “Every disabled person has something that gives them strength,” she said.
For some, community support can also play an important role in restoring confidence and finding new opportunities. Joining KOTRI, Indonesia’s Deaf E-Hailing Drivers Community gave Mr Eko Saiful Nur Amin, 32, a fresh start after he lost his right arm in a road accident. The organisation connects PWDs with employment and skills training, and helped Mr Eko become a Grab rider-partner.
“I may be disabled, but I always push myself to make things happen,” he said. “If others can do it, why can’t I?”
The experiences of Mr Badrolshah, Ms Teong and Mr Eko are featured in Under The Same Sky, a documentary that follows PWDs as they pursue greater independence through work.
STEERING TOWARDS GREATER ACCESSIBILITY
Last year, more than 6,000 Grab driver-partners with disabilities across Southeast Asia earned an income through the platform. Here are some of the ways Grab supports them:
• PWD identifiers and GrabChat notifications alert passengers that their driver-partner has a disability, while offering guidance on respectful interactions
• In-car communication flip cards help passengers communicate with deaf driver-partners
• Driver-partners who use wheelchairs are assigned nearer delivery jobs, while Grab monitors the impact on their earnings
PARTNERING COMMUNITIES TO OPEN DOORS
Whether it is a single mother striving to support her family or a PWD building a career on their own terms, access to work can have a lasting impact.
Last year, more than 189,000 women and PWD driver-partners earned an income via Grab, marking a 40 per cent year-on-year increase. Through partnerships with non-governmental organisations like Single Moms Indonesia, KOTRI and PPEOFM, Grab aims to create more inclusive and resilient communities in Southeast Asia.
In Grab’s ESG Report 2025, group CEO, co-founder and chairman Anthony Tan described inclusion as central to the company’s long-term approach. “By lowering barriers for underrepresented groups, we are not only driving social impact, but expanding our partner supply and strengthening the resilience of our network,” he said. “At the same time, we want to ensure that everyone in our communities can move through their world with independence and dignity.”