During August 2018, my devotees and I visited Sri Lanka and and had the opportunity to visit ancient shrines and pay a visit to holy Buddha’s tooth relics and many sacred places. Throughout this trip, we did a lot of offerings to the old aged homes, nursing homes and orphanages. Meanwhile, we came across to a teenage mother’s shelter and that was the most shocking and saddest thing about this trip. The youngest victim was 12 years old however they said a 10 year old victim just had a miscarriage due to her young age.
They are still kid with innocent faces;
They haven’t even get a chance to enjoy their pure childhood days, but instead they have already carried the burden of being an adult; they haven’t gotten a chance to get a proper education with kids at the same age but they already need to carry their child that is 12 years younger.
This is so saddening! They are still a kid! But why do they have to face the reality at such a young age?
After consulting them, I realised that all this misfortunes could be avoided.
When one do not understand and do not know the importance of (sex education) men and females in our traditional custom thus became, man do not respect woman and woman do not know how to protect themselves. Certainly, those innocent young mothers would not say ‘NO’ to their relatives, friends and even neighbours. Thus, the tragedy began. When my devotees and I encounter these young victims, we are really downhearted, they suffers too much and even worse they are still underage.
One of my devotee that followed me to Sri Lanka was extremely upset and cried to the view of helpless innocent young moms. They are immensely sad from our first visit and none of us could accept such cruel fact. The Sri Lankan Mage and staff who took us to the reception center could not accept such cruel view on their first visit too. After further consultation, we then realised that these young mothers were cheated or raped mostly by their own relatives. These young mothers thus discourage by the misfortunes they faced. After they got impregnated, parents would think that these children brings disgrace to them and they no longer could be married again and thus chase them out of the house. This young children would not get the love and care from their parents they longed ever again. As Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, they cannot abort or in any means to end the life of an unborn child.
Looking at their pure and vulnerable face of an innocent girl but which they already became the victim of allegation of rape. And so I wanted to stop this and certainly, I definitely would want to help them in all means.
To those that already experienced this tragedy, we could only give them love, support and encouragement to raise their kid into adult and to stop any misfortune to them. I hope I would be able to assist them in long-term and to help them in future. For those that haven’t experience this tragedy, I would want to educate the right knowledge especially the importance of sex education and to respect woman.
I would take up my first step to educate them by giving out brochures using simple words and pictures to give them the preliminary knowledge of sex education. We would also like to have some volunteers to go around the rural schools to give tmr further in depth education.
As quoted from one of my devotees, “ how could I bear myself to see young vulnerable girls experience such tragedy at a young age. For those that had already experienced this misfortune, we would help and support them. For those that has not, we would educate them and bring damage to the lowest level.
To every kind and compassionate people, would you love to help and support them in any means? If any kind hearted people would want to join this ‘ I love my mom’ project, please contact me.
Amituofo