Reka*, 19, from Bódvalenke (Ungarn):”I became pregnant for the first time when I was 13 years old. Now I am already the mother of three kids. My husband is much older and travelling a lot, searching for income for the five of us. He stays with us only during the wintertime, but even then he is not at home very often, because he has to work for the municipality. When I gave birth to my first child in my mother's kitchen, I was absolutely lost. I did not have any idea about how to care for my child, whom to ask for advice, where to go and what to do. My mother experienced the same when she had her first child, so it seemed normal to be lost in such a way. But I want something different for my kids! I don’t want that my daughter becomes a mother as well while she is still a child. I want her to finish school, to have access to jobs and an income. In the Sure Beginning House, I realized that it is good to know something and that it can help you to organize your life. I also learned to see my children in a different way, not only as a burden, but also as joy! I also realized that we can help each other, because even though there are so many other young mothers in my village, we never shared our experiences and fears before. To do this now is a big help! I really hope that my kids can attend school and will have the opportunity to start work, so that life, finally, will change in our little village.”
The wish to change fates such as Reka's to the better, is the starting point for our daily Charity work and it is wonderful to hear from our fosterlings that our constant commitment actually leads to improvements.
*Name changed due to data privacy reasons.
