Remembering Tania
At Basha we've celebrated so many firsts... our first day of operation, our first employee to be promoted to a supervisor, our first order from each different country. But this one, this one we could have done without...The first Basha woman to die, too young, too soon.
Tania found Children's Uplift Programme in the early days of their work targeting mothers living on the street (please see www.childrensupliftprogramme.org). With a newborn to care for and a husband addicted to drugs, landing in and out of jail, it was not an easy life. When her second son was born, she participated in CUP's rehabilitation and training programme. Pictures of various celebrations and events show her telling a story, acting in a drama, bringing laughs and joy through her antics.
Tania's early days at Basha were a bit difficult. She would put so much effort into her hand sewing, yet she produced little. We changed her job to machine sewing and helping out with other tasks around the office which she was able to do more successfully.
When she became pregnant with her third child, Tania told people that if she had a daughter, she was sure her husband would “become good.” Instead her life slipped away within hours of giving birth to that daughter. The baby girl died a couple of days later. We held a small memorial service in the office, gathering together to sing, remember and pray. And as the women share their memories, grieve the loss of their friend, years of loss and pain accumulate in their words.
And it seems to senseless and cruel, like it should be from an earlier era that childbirth takes your life, not 2013. But in a Bangladesh village, it can still happen. Maternal mortality has actually improved greatly, declining 40% in the past nine years. But for Tania and her two little boys who will carry her giant eyes and infectious grin into the future, it's still just not low enough.
“Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.” -Mitch Albom, For One More Day
