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Little Yen Mai is six months old. Her mother Tam is just 16. Tam lives at home with her mother and sister. Her father is in prison. Because of poor health, Tam’s mother is unable to work a steady job and earns just over $100 per month selling coconuts at the local market. Unable to pay for uniforms and books, Tam and her older sister both dropped out of school about two years ago. Tam’s sister works at an outdoor noodle stand to add a meager income to the family support.
When Tam became pregnant, the baby’s father and his family rejected her, refusing to acknowledge the child or pay for any expenses. Scared and alone, Tam considered abandoning Yen Mai at a government orphanage or a Buddhist temple.
That’s when you stepped in. You provided a loving mentor to help and encourage Tam. Through infant-care classes, medical appointments, shopping trips for bottles, diapers, baby clothes, and a lot of listening, Tam began to believe that she could be a good mother to her baby. As Tam’s life stabilized, she could think about her future. How will she provide for her beloved daughter? With gentle guidance and advice in exploring options, Tam has now begun a vocational program to become a certified nail technician. Her mother and sister are helping look after Yen Mai while Tam is in the class for 2-3 months.
Tam has come so far from the terrified pregnant teenager with no options. With the help you sent, she has faced heartache and uncertainty and has found hope for the future. Baby Yen Mai doesn’t know it yet, but she has the opportunity to thrive, raised by a mother who is learning resilience, perseverance, and the power of possibility. It is an important beginning of what God wants to do in their lives. Thank you!
Below: Yen Mai explores colorful lights and buttons in the arms of her mother Tam!
