Called to the painful journey of loss and transformation after the death of her own husband through a horrific car accident in 1985 and having to bring up two small girls on her own – Joyce Lye knows first-hand how important the experiences of those who have walked the widowed path are to those who are in the midst of the searing pain of bereavement.

It was through her transformational journey to wholeness, coupled with the companionship and unconditional love of other widowed that Wicare was born in 1993, starting out small, attracting a turnout of 5 ladies meeting at a restaurant in Upper Paya Lebar. Over the years, as the informal group steadily grew in size, and after talking with many other widows, Joyce found her experience was not unique, there was little in the way of organised help, support and guidance to assist women and their children going through one of the most traumatic episodes of their lives. Wicare was thus formally founded in 1996 with the simple yet challenging goal of making life easier for women who have lost a spouse.

Timeline