Spain based girl finds her birth mother after 23 years

NP NEWS NETWORK

Pune

Despite living in the world of technology and one of the faster mode of communication, still an Indian Origin girl who was adopted by Spanish couple flew to India to meet her biological mother after 23 years.

Finally, after 23 years, Zeenath got a chance to meet her mother. But was saddened to see that her mother was wandering from home to home to earn livelihood . Zeenat was adopted by a Spain based couple from an child care center located in Pune.

There were a lot of barriers and questions in Zeenath’s mind when she met her biological mother for the first time. But in spite of the communication and language barriers, they were able to converse only through the emotional connection. Zeenath only knows Spanish and a bit English while Nozia (name change to protect her identity) only knows Hindi and Marathi.

The Spain-based couple, Antich Marti Raman (56) who is working as a sound technician and his wife Garica Batacia Fores (57) is Liberian in Spain adopted Zeenath when she was just 14 months old. She was adopted from the Pune based child welfare committee placed her in the care of childcare center named Shreevatsa, run by charitable trust Society of Friends of the Sassoon Hospital (SOFOSH). Four years later the couple adopted a second child from the same organization named Aakash.

Zeenath who wanted to pursue her career in psychology and used to work at a restaurant. With all the savings of her job, she came to India to meet her mother Nozia (name changed to protect her identity). Zeenath is volunteering in SOFOSH for a month.

With a lot to say and hear from her mother, Zeenath met Nozia on Saturday. They cried holding each other for an hour. Nozia was weeping like a child. SHe gifted her daughter Zeenath a bentex chain, glass bangles, and earrings. Nozia lives in a hut and is a domestic maid. She also came to know that he was born by a sexually abusive relationship and after her birth, her mother Nozia was disowned by her family and father.

Zeenath was 10 when she visited SOFOSH with her brother and Spain parents. Since then she was really curious to meet her mother.

SOFOSH’s Sharmila Syed administrative officer who is working in the organization for last 25 years said, “Zeenath’s enrollment was done by me and I had counseled her mother. At the age of ten she had come to meet us and a year later she had dropped a mail requesting that she want to meet her real parent. It was difficult to trace her as she was disowned by her relative. Later, via the person who was culprit we met him and via him we met her brother and then we got number. She didn’t have money but for her daughter, she managed to come to Pune and met her.”

Explaining the reason why Nozia enrolled Zeenath in the child care center she said, “I was 21-year-old when I was repeatedly sexual abused by my relative but later after I conceived, the person deserted me. My family too disowned me. Later in 1994 I delivered Zeenath. She was a pretty girl and did not want to leave her but I had faced all of the problems and did not want my girl to suffer. When she was two-month-old I enrol her in NGO. In my daily prayers, I use to remember my daughter and wish for her good health. I didn’t know that one day she will come and meet me. ”

SOFOSH’s Sharmila Syed, Administrative Officer who is working in the organization for last 25 years said, “Zeenath’s enrolment was done by me and I had counselled her mother. At the age of ten, she had come to meet us and a year later she had dropped a mail requesting that she want to meet her real parent. It was difficult to trace her as she was disowned by her relative. Later, via the person who was culprit we met him and via him we met her brother and then we got the number. She didn’t have money but for her daughter, she managed to come to Pune and met her.”

She added, “My daughter is more beautiful than me. I wish her success and I am proud of my decision that she is at least standing on her leg independently.”

While talking about Zeenath her mother Gracia said, “Zeenath is a very good girl and we are proud of her. It was her wish that she wanted to meet her mother and for it, she was saving money. Zeenath looks like her mothe; nose, hairs, eyes, and teeth. Initially, we let her meet her mother so that she gets space with her and on Sunday we came to Pune. Now we all together will fly to Spain on Friday.”

“I cannot forget that with a lot of pains by Ammi whom I will call Mummy gave birth to me. I am really happy and proud of it. I cannot even forget that SOFOSH has helped me a lot and groom me. I want to pursue my studies further in Psychology and want to do social work and bring a smile on the face of children like me. Next year, I am coming to India again and learning Hindi as that time, due to the language barrier I could not speak much.”