At just 17, Rubi Akter has already walked a long road. One marked by hardship, heartbreak, and finally, hope.
“I got married young. I didn’t know much about what pregnancy really meant. I thought it was just something that happens,” Rubi said softly, holding her newborn daughter in her arms. “But the first time, I lost the baby. I didn’t know what I did wrong. I blamed myself,” she added.
Rubi resides in Block C of the Nayapara Registered Camp (NRC) in Teknaf, Bangladesh, currently staying with her parents after experiencing difficulties in her in-laws’ home. Her father’s house is small but feels safer to her, especially during her pregnancy, a time that brought fear more than joy, until Humanity & Inclusion (HI) stepped in.
“When I returned home, I was physically weak, mentally drained, and scared about being pregnant again,” Rubi recalls. “I didn’t know how to take care of myself. Then my mother referred me to the HI’s project of Inclusive Specialized Services for Vulnerable Persons, Including Persons with Disabilities in Cox’s Bazar, where she had received help with her physical condition.”
HI’s Care Transforms Rubi’s Journey
That’s when Rubi’s journey began to change. Through HI, Rubi received six sessions of medical and emotional support, including five Antenatal Care (ANC) sessions and one Postnatal Care (PNC) session. A nurse from HI visited her home regularly, checking her blood pressure, monitoring her baby’s position, and gently explaining every step in a way Rubi could understand.
In addition to medical care, Rubi received protection support and emergency mental health support that helped her overcome the emotional weight of past trauma and move forward with hope.
On the day of delivery, Rubi safely gave birth to a healthy baby girl at 37 weeks.
“Alhamdulillah, ‘Thanks God’, everything went well. There were no problems. And now, my daughter is healthy. My breast milk is enough for her. The nurse showed me how to feed her properly,” Rubi says, her voice now steady with pride. “I feel strong. I feel like I can do this.”
When asked about her dreams, Rubi didn’t hesitate to answer, saying, “I want my daughter to grow up educated and confident. I will never marry her off as early as I did. I want her to live with dignity, to be someone who knows her worth. That’s my biggest wish.”
| HI’s Project Inclusive Specialized Services for Vulnerable Persons, Including Persons with Disabilities in Cox’s Bazar, is funded by the PRM (Population, Refugees and Migration). |
