Kaldiya (2008) is a 15-year-old girl who lives with her mother Cha (1972) in the south of Thailand. Her father is still alive but completely out of the picture. Kaldiya's greatest wish? “I want to go to university and become a teacher.” This is a story about never giving up.
When Kaldiya was 2 years old, her mother left her father because he was an absent and bad father and husband. Mother therefore had to take care of Kaldiya alone and earn an income in the meantime. Mother: “I sell Thai desserts for 5 baht each. My cost is 3 baht per dessert so I earn 2 baht per item sold. Most mornings I start at 3 am to first make the desserts and then sell them at the local market and to shops in the area.” Siam-Care helped mother with the purchase of baking materials with which mother makes the desserts. Despite her hard work, she does not earn enough to pay for Kaldiya's studies.
Hard work
Due to mother's Islamic background, mother remained uneducated and Kaldiya was not destined to study either. Kadilya's father refused to work and therefore mother has been working since her daughter was born. With the help of Siam-Care, Kaldiya can still go to school. She is currently a junior in high school and is working hard to get ahead. “Together with friends, I save 10 baht every day so that I can pay my registration fees later. The support from Siam-Care helps enormously with this, I wouldn't have managed it myself.” Kaldiya also makes rice at home every day, so she doesn't have to get lunch at school and saves money. Siam-Care purchased a school outfit for Kaldiyaa and covers travel expenses to and from school.
Big dream
Kaldiya's big dream? “I would like to go to university and then become a teacher. The school costs are high, but with the help of Siam-Care I can go a long way. I am also already practicing as an assistant at a weekend school for Muslims. This gives me the necessary experience.” When we ask mother what her dream for the future is, she quickly has her answer ready: “I wish my daughter could complete a study, which I was never allowed to do. We are poor and struggle to survive, but the future looks brighter, knowing that Kaldiya can go to school. Mother and daughter also hope to one day have a moped of their own, so that they can travel to school and work more easily.
