MS ZAITON Karim, 48, has struggled to manage her family's household finances for the past 18 years since her husband died.

Times have become tougher for Ms Karim now that the mother of two grown-up children is jobless. She lives with her adult kids, and is looking for a job.

Even in the past when Ms Karim scraped together a living by working as a cleaner, administrator and sales person she still found it challenging to get her finances in order.

She can turn to a new programme run by the Tsao Foundation, a Singapore-based non-profit organisation whose main work is helping the elderly.

It targets lower-income mature women who are 'financially vulnerable' as they are often unable to support themselves financially in old age.

In many cases, all their savings went to supporting their familes.

Dr Mary Ann Tsao, president of the Tsao Foundation, noted that older women such as Ms Karim are 'disportionately vulnerable' compared to the rest of the population.

They have sacrificed their whole lives taking care of their families, she said.

Statistics show that women aged 55 to 64 years who work account for only 39 per cent, while the rest are most likely at home looking after their families.

The programme, the first of its kind in South-east Asia, aims to help mature women to become more assertive in asking for financial resources from other family members, saving more and steering clear of any debt traps.

Through a series of workshops, it teaches these women to manage their day-to-day finances and also create a support group for them.

Citi Foundation is donating $500,000 to fund the first phase of the programme, which includes developing a curriculum.

Mr Piyush Gupta, Citi Singapore country officer said Citi's involvement also enables Citi staff to volunteer their time and expertise.