My Story

Sarisri’s parents both wanted only sons in their family. When Sarisri was born, her parents were deeply disappointed by her birth and they began to neglect her for being a girl. Over time her father began to develop affection for her, but her mother did not. Her mother used to treat Sarisri as purely unwanted—many times scolding her for being born and not feeding her appropriately. Apart from the slowly developed affection of her father, Sarisri only received affection and positive attention from her grandmother who would try to protect her from her mother when her father was away at work.

When Sarisri’s mother became pregnant again, the family prayed for a son. To their excitement, Sarisri’s brother was born. Although Sarisri’s birth was not celebrated, her brother's birth was greatly celebrated with new clothes and toys. With the birth of her younger brother, Sarisri was neglected even further by her mother. She was eventually sent to a school that allowed her to eat lunch for free. Her mother supported this since it would save their family money and they would no longer have to feed Sarisri.

Sarisri’s mother had a strict plan to take her out of school and enlist her for bonded labor work once she turned 10. Once her grandmother found out about this, she was deeply worried for Sarisri’s wellbeing. Sarisri’s grandmother eventually got in touch with our social workers who were able to intervene on Sarisri’s behalf. Your sponsorship ensures Sarisri is safe and enrolled in school rather than becoming a child laborer. It also provides her with ongoing support and counseling from our social workers who are teaching her the value of being a girl!