Mother's Day Special: Every child deserves a mum
EveryChild is working tirelessly around the world to give as many children as possible the chance to grow up with their mum. In this special Mother’s Day feature, we bring you some of our success stories from Russia, India and Malawi; these offer a glimpse of the changes we are making around the world. In these and other countries where we work, EveryChild is making a real difference to the lives of children, by giving them what every child deserves – a mum.
Russia: Marina & Karol (pictured below)
“Life has a way of giving gifts when you are on the verge of saying goodbye to all your hopes,” says Marina, who faced a heartbreaking decision when her son Karol was born. With money and marriage problems, Marina felt giving her child up to state care was the only way to avoid financial ruin.
For Marina her gift was help from EveryChild and a partner organisation in Ekaterinburg, which gives vulnerable mothers and their babies the support they need to stay together. Staff work with a maternity hospital gaining the trust of doctors and nurses who in turn introduce the NGO staff to new mothers on the brink of abandoning their children.
Marina had told hospital staff there was no way she could cope with her newborn baby. The staff at the maternity hospital put Marina in touch with Larissa, the director at EveryChild's partner organisation. Through counselling and practical support Marina realised that she could be a mother to her son afterall.
“I had already told the hospital staff there was no way for me to take my baby home, but Larissa spent a month with me helping me to open my eyes and put Karol first rather than my fears,” says Marina.
“Now I can’t imagine being separated from Karol. He is loving and affectionate and every time I leave the house he looks at me with his big eyes as if to say ‘when will you be back’. And he knows from mine that I am his mother and will not leave him.”
India: Vaidhegi & Vignesh (pictured below)
After the death of her alcoholic husband Vaidhegi was left to bring up two children alone on a meagre wage of just 500 Rupees (about £6) a month. Sending Vignesh 300 miles to a children’s home, where she could be certain he could be fed, clothed and schooled, seemed like the best option.
But Vignesh was unhappy there. “I missed my mother and I wanted to go home,” he said. Vignesh ran away from the children’s home and found himself on Bangalore Railway Platform, and a prime target for child traffickers.
On the verge of being sold to a hotel owner, where he would have been forced to work long hours in return for food Vignesh was rescued by EveryChild and a partner organisation in India. They contacted Vignesh’s mum, who immediately travelled 300 miles to be reunited with her son.
Counselling allowed mother and son to find a solution to their problems – now Vaidhegi has arranged, with the help of Sathi, for Vignesh to finish his studies close to home. Vignesh is happy to be close to his mother once again, and now has the chance to finish his education and enjoy his childhood.
Malawi: Mwawi & Efraida
Family poverty and traditional culture forced fourteen year old Efraida into an early marriage which ended her education and separated her from her mother, Mwawi. “Wise girls your age get married and support their parents,” Efraida, the eldest of five children, was told by her father.
Forced marriages are commonplace in Malawi, with poor families desperate to receive a cash dowry they feel they have no option but to say goodbye to their daughters at a young age.
Efraida married, but once married it materialised Efraida’s husband John had no stable income, food was scarce and dreams of secure married life were soon shattered. EveryChild’s child protection committee heard about the situation and entered into talks with Efraida, her parent and her in-laws. Efraida is now back at home having been released from the marriage and is continuing in school with the hope of becoming a community nurse.
Despite a traumatic year, Efraida’s mother can now smile because thanks to help from EveryChild’s mother and daughter have now been reunited.
Her mother is elated to have her eldest daughter back under her roof and is determined to keep her family in tact. “I am taking part in parenting skills to support my children and want to help them to achieve their aspirations," she said.
"EveryChild has supported us with farm inputs and we hope to produce enough food for our family,” said Mwawi with a smile on her face. Every month in Malawi four girls are separated from their family’s and forced into marriage. So far, Efraida is one of 27 girls EveryChild has helped go back to their families. Click here for our latest feature on Malawi.
The names of the children have been changed in order to protect their identities.