Janet Lim

“There will always be light at the end of the tunnel.”

• Aspiring motivational speaker

• Neighbourhood cat fosterer and advocate

Janet is an aspiring motivational speaker and neighbourhood cat fosterer and advocate. She used to work as an electronics engineer; however due to her health condition, she has been using a personal mobility aid (PMA) since 2017. Tapping on her own lived experiences, Janet actively explores her neighbourhood and shares feedback on areas that lack wheelchair accessibility. Her feedback has since resulted in more accessible routes and ramps in the community.

Janet has been the primary caregiver for her mother who suffers from dementia. When caregiver burnout took a toll on Janet, a fellow resident passionate about the cats in their neighbourhood motivates her love for cats. This was the beginning of her journey of starting ‘Justice for Cats’, a community initiative dedicated to rescuing and providing new homes for stray cats. She started to channel her affection and attention towards the neighbourhood’s stray cats and even fostered some of them, all of which has helped to improve her mental health. In collaboration with Allkin Family Service Centre @ Cheng San 445, Janet regularly visits cat owners to better understand their challenges and explore meaningful ways to support under-resourced families who own pet cats. Since starting this initiative, Janet has built rapport with various stakeholders to further her cause, and finds new joy and purpose in a community of like-minded people.

Currently, Janet is planning to attend motivational courses to enhance her skills and take a significant step toward achieving her personal goals. With a vision of obtaining a tour guide license in Singapore, specialising in wheelchair-friendly tours, she views this as a meaningful opportunity to create an extra source of income to support her needs.