Jinky’s Story of Loss

We met Jinky about a year ago,

She joined the Birthing Better Babies Programme.

She was 25, already had a young child

Then she met a man.

She became pregnant to him.

After all he had a  job

Looked after her and her small child.

Life looked good for Jinky.

However life is hard in the slum.

It turns out the man had a wife already.

His wife was an Filipino Overseas Worker away for months at a time.

She returns.

To her house and to her husband.

He returns to his wife.

Jinky is turned out

Unprotected

Pregnant

Rejected.

Jinky alone, desperate and devastated has the baby.

Under immense financial pressure to support the newborn

Jinky is forced to give the baby away.

No one knows who to, perhaps family in the province,

Perhaps to a couple who can support the child for her,

Perhaps to strangers.

We do know

Jinky was sad, so very sad.

Devastated.

We all were.

From everything to nothing.

From happiness to deep sadness,

No mother gives her baby away unless she must.

Life is tough in the slum.

Women do what they must

To survive

To live

To eat.

Jinky’s story is not unusual,

She is one of many

Even hundreds

Even thousands of woman and girls.

Coping with unplanned pregnancies

Unstable relationships.

There is no photo of Jinky

Perhaps that is good

Perhaps Jinky can remind us of the betrayed and alone

The women abandoned and pregnant.

Birthing Better Babies helped

But not enough.

Jinky had choices

She did not know them.

Choices such as school, education, work

Choices that empowered her

Stabilised her

Grown her.

Pray we are part of the solution for girls like Jinky.

Pray we offer life in the darkness