Rebuilding My Life One Step at a Time
After Siti’s divorce, she turned to bad company, which led to the vicious cycle of her abusing and trafficking drugs. This only stopped the day she was finally caught and handcuffed in front of her son. Siti was convicted and imprisoned for three years, during which her son, Ahmad* (then only 8 years old), had to be sent to a children’s home. During his time there, he ran away more than 20 times.
What broke her heart the most was that he would always run to places she used to take him to, a sign of how much he missed and needed his mum.
That was a turning point for Siti. Since then, she has worked hard to get her life back on track. The most important part for her was gaining back Ahmad’s love and trust. By the time she was released, he had grown from a boy to a young adult. Their relationship was a bit strained, but she persevered, adapting to his new lifestyle. Today, they have a strong relationship, and Ahmad loves helping her cook and look after her new baby.
It’s clear to Siti now, that family is the most important thing. She is now happily married, and has just given birth to another son. Her relationship with her own parents is also a lot better. Most of all, she’s learnt to treasure every moment she has with her children. Even after a long day at work, her favourite thing to do is to listen to her son’s stories. “I wasted a lot of time doing drugs and in prison. I would rather have spent the time with Ahmad. He’s more wonderful than drugs could ever be”.
Siti managed to turn her life around because it came from within. “I stopped being such a negative person”, with a little help and support from her mentors at Beautiful People, who never once looked down on her. She has learnt not only to look at things more positively, but more importantly, to trust herself. Once she understood this and changed herself, it became a lot easier for Siti to rebuild her life again.
“I fell a lot of times after I was released, but I managed to stand up again because of Beautiful People – because of their support, motivation and encouragement. Where I am today, is partly because of them”.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
2018