Abandoned Children in Surinam - Anendee: "My heart will always beat for you"

Abandoned Children in Surinam - Anendee: "My heart will always beat for you".

Authorities were alerted yesterday afternoon to a case of child abandonment in Surinam. Two minors, aged 13 and 14, were taken into the care of social services after their family declared they could no longer care for them. They were taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Rose-Belle for medical examinations and were subsequently hospitalized. Their mother, Anendee, 37, shares her story of helplessness in the face of two sons who refuse to listen.

Anendee married young, at 20, dreaming of a simple life, a united home, and a happy family. "I wanted a small house full of laughter, full of love..." she confides. She soon became a mother—four children, three boys and a girl. She tirelessly took care of everything: the house, meals, homework, illnesses, and tears.

However, married life was not smooth sailing. Disputes followed each other, misunderstandings grew. "I tried everything to keep my family together, but when a relationship ends, it ends." At 29, she divorced—a painful but necessary turning point.

"I was left alone, I had to be strong. No one was there to help me. I would wake up in the morning, go to work, then return to do everything at home. Sometimes I was tired, I cried, but I always told myself I wouldn't abandon my children."

For several years, she raised her four children alone, fighting to provide them with the necessities with limited means. Then life surprised her again: she met a kind, calm man with whom she rebuilt her life. Together, they had a little girl. "He brought back a smile to my face. He helped me find some peace."

But happiness was short-lived. Her two older sons, N. V., 14, and S. V., 12, refuse any authority. They prefer to live by their own rules. "They didn’t want to listen to me. They said they were going to school, but in the end, they didn’t go. They would go out, come back late. I tried to talk to them, explain things to them, make them understand, but nothing changed."

Seeing that the situation was becoming difficult to manage, she agreed to let the boys live for a while with their father in Mahébourg. "I thought they would behave better, that their father could guide them. But even there, they didn’t listen. They got into a lot of trouble."

A few months later, the boys moved in with their grandfather in Surinam. "I stayed in contact with them. I went to see them, brought them food, gave them money for school. But they ended up picking up bad habits. They would sleep outside, go out without telling me, they stayed in an abandoned house."

Broken Heart

Last Saturday, the news broke: the two teenagers had left their grandfather's house again. Their mother set out to find them. The police found them a few days later. The children were brought back but left again shortly after. "They just don’t listen. They live their lives. They say they will change, but every time it’s the same thing."

Anendee lowers her eyes, wiping away a discreet tear. "There were moments when I was losing my health. I was mentally exhausted. I was living in stress every day. I was afraid I would break down."

"I did everything for you"

She insists: what she is experiencing is not abandonment; it is a cry from the heart. "I did everything for you. I gave you love, I fed you, I took you to the clinic, I paid for your school. I lost sleep over you. But you wouldn't listen."

Her gaze drifts into the void. "I’m not pushing my children away. I just don't have the strength. Sometimes you also need to protect your own life, your own well-being. I cannot continue to live in sorrow every day."

Today, Anendee lives with her partner, their little girl, and her eldest son, who bring some light into her life. Her 10-year-old son lives with her. "He gives me courage. I want him to grow up in peace, in a home without noise, without trouble."

The Judgment of Others

On social media, the story of her sons is trending. Many judge her without knowing her side of the story. "Some people say I abandoned my children, that I'm not a good mother. It hurts. My heart bleeds when I read those comments. People don’t know what I’ve suffered, what I’ve tried to do. They see only one side of the story. But I have to put them in their place."

She shakes her head. "People find it easy to judge. But they weren’t there when I couldn’t sleep at night, praying, crying. They weren’t there when I went looking for them on the streets, in the rain, in the dark."

For her, speaking out today is a way to put things in context, to defend herself, but also to relieve her heart. "I am telling the truth. I did everything for you. I will always love you. But I need peace. I don’t have the strength to continue dealing with this chaos."

Hope Despite Everything

Despite everything, Anendee holds on to hope. She prays for her sons to turn their lives around, to understand the value of a mother and a home. "I believe one day they will realize. I pray for them every night."

She recounts how sometimes the boys come back for a few hours or days. "They come and say, 'Mom, we regret it,' and they cry. I cry too. I forgive them every time. I cannot not forgive. They are my children."

She pauses, then continues: "A mother is not born to turn her back. I haven’t turned my back. I simply reached a point where my heart was too tired. I need to breathe."

Anendee hopes that one day her sons will return to her, more mature and at peace. "I will open my heart, I will open my door. I will not close the door on them. But I want them to come with good intentions, with respect, with a desire to change."

Her expression softens. "They remain my children. I will always have love for them, even if they are far away."

"No one is perfect. I am not a saint. I have made mistakes, I have suffered, I have broken down. But I remain a mother. My heart will always beat for you. I pray to God to guide you, to put you back on the right path. I am just asking for a little peace… for me, for you."