You make a comfortable four-figure monthly salary, have four wonderful children and a happy home life.

Now imagine all that vanishing when your husband runs away with all the money in your joint account, leaving you to fend for yourself and your young children.

Hard to imagine?

That was what happened to Ms Rosham Bamadha (main picture, left).

The 48-year-old single mother was left desperate and broke when her husband deserted the family six months ago.

But that was but one of her problems.

She still had her school-going children, aged between 7 to 14, to take care of.

It meant she had to resign from her job to look after her kids full time. But without a regular income, life was tough.

It was a candle-making workshop that gave her a second chance at life.

Approaching the South West Community Development Council for help, Ms Rosham came to learn of the workshop that is run by Cha Cha Cottage Industry Ltd, a non-profit organisation that provides women home-based skills such as candle-making, beauty soaps and jewellery making.

Ms Rosham was sponsored by the CDC to attend the course and pick up candle-making skills.

She said: "It's terrible when you have kids and have no money, but candle-making motivated me.

"The hours at Cha Cha are flexible and I can work from home and take care of my kids at the same time."

The workshops train women to make items such as decorative candles, scented soaps and jewellery and sell them from home. The project also provides them equipment and raw materials to make the finished products at a subsidised rate.

Project director, Ms Angella Cheng, started the project to help single mothers who are their families' sole providers, but extended it to include women who needed financial help as their husbands could not work due to illness.

Madam Nur Hidayah: One of the participants at the candle-making workshop sponsored by Southwest Community Development Council

The project counts major hotels as customers for their products and hopes to widen their product range to include body lotions, liquid soaps, shower gels and shampoo later.

Although she earns about $400 a month, which is a far cry from what she used to take home, it helps her to cover living expenses for her children.

The workshop has also benefited other women who need help to supplement their family income too.

Take 37-year-old housewife, Ms Julia Matrawi (main pic, right). She faced financial difficulty when her then technician-husband was injured in a work-related accident.

Her husband, the family's sole breadwinner, lost his job two years ago due to his spinal injury, and the family faced mounting medical and school bills.

With five children, then aged between 10 and 18, and one sick father to look after, she sought welfare assistance but was barely able to cope.

And when a friend told her about the project, she decided to sign up for the candle-making classes to earn some extra income while staying home with her children.

It has also helped the family to bond, as husband and children chip in to help when bulk orders for the candles come in, and they are able to produce about 30 candles a week.

She said: "Now, I am able to save some money from selling the candles, and I can even bring my children out for meals."

So far, 20 women have been sponsored by SouthWest CDC to attend the four-session course, and it is a one-time event. Subsequent workshops may be organised if enough people show interest.