A Girl’s Story: Pin

I have 7 siblings which I am the 5th. My mother became a single mom of 7 children right after my father passed away. She worked very hard to raise her children. She worked at her small farm or sometimes she was hired by others to help out on their farm. She never stops working so she could pay her children to go to school. It was a very tough time in my family. Two of my bigger sisters had to marry when they were just 18 and 19 years old. Next, my third bigger sister was about to graduate from grade 12, but she has no chance to do so because she was kidnapped to be a bride. Regarding my tribe’s culture, this has been practicing a long time ago and still happening (rarely now except in a very remote area), most of them are not receiving a proper education, they don’t know what human rights are. I can say that many girls including me in the village are at high risk of this norm. From that event, my mom realized that home is not a safe place for the other 2 daughters anymore, so she asked for help and sought shelter. My sister and I stayed at a shelter in Phayao province when I was in grade 4 for only 1 year and this shelter closed down. My mom sought another shelter for us until I graduated grade 6.

As time goes by, my mom decided to get married and moved into her new husband’s house. This made four of us, my sisters, my brother, and I had to stay at mom’s new husband’s house because we have no relatives or cousins in my previous village to take care of us. Later, mom has a son with her new husband before he was arrested. I did not get a chance to continue my education after I finished grade 6. Then, when I moved in with mom, things got to settle, I went to the school in the village. I didn’t go to school regularly as I need to look after my little brother while mom went to work on a farm alone to feed the family. I was struggling with my study, with God’s grace, the SDA pastor overheard my situation. He stepped in and helped me by contacting the Keep Girls Safe Project of the ADRA agency. Here at KGS shelter, I received another life opportunity to have a safe place to stay, learning new life skills every day, no more hunger, learning how to play a musical instrument that I never know how to play or see before, importantly, I got to know God. Living with KGS makes me a better person and I can see my potential, I learn many things from the shelter and the church.

As I graduate from high school, I will continue my higher education in faculty in nursing at Asia Pacific International University. Being a nurse is my dream, so I can take care of my family member when they get sick and I want to help the patient who is suffering from sickness. I know I will feel happy when they feel better. Also, I can provide healthcare advice to people who need it. I know the feeling of happiness when we receiving warm hands from someone when we are very suffering or need help. Just like me when I was younger and I got help from ADRA.