Since last week we've been following the story of 21 year old Sabrina Eiley. She is the first time mother who ended up in jail when she was pregnant. After delivering a daughter, who she named destiny, Sabrina and her newborn baby both returned to the Hattieville Prison. With the help of lobbying efforts from members on the prison's parole board - on Wednesday of last week Sabrina and baby Destiny were released from the Hattieville Prison. Most probably assumed that Sabrina went home and lived happily ever after. But the pin neva ben' and the story still hasn't ended. Keith Swift found out why.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The last time we saw Sabrina Eiley she was crying tears of joy after receiving the news that she along with newborn baby girl - Destiny - would be released from the Hattieville Prison.
Sabrina Eiley,
[February 28th, 2007) "I feel happy. I feel happy because this is what I wanted. I didn't have my mom with me when I was young and I didn't want to give up my baby because of that and I will have my baby with me through everything and I just feel good."
Sabrina and baby Destiny were allowed to leave the prison that very night but her happiness was short lived.
Sabrina Eiley,
"I went home and a couple people started harassing me, asking about adoption for the baby."
But adoption was never in the question for Sabrina and so with nowhere to go - mother and child, freed from prison, was sentenced to homelessness. And so she had to once again turn to her friends at the Kolbe Foundation. Bernadine Reid is a facilitator at Kolbe.
Bernadine Reid, Kolbe Foundation
"Maybe this is not the right thing to say but where she went, we didn't think it was an appropriate place for the baby so we called Mr. Skeen and spoke to him and they said they would see what they could do. He rented this house where you see Sabrina lives now and we have of the officers, because she still cannot help herself because she had gotten a c-section, she still needs somebody to help her to take care of the baby and help her to move around. So what we did is designate an officer each day to help her with the baby. So she has somebody here 24/7 to help her to take care of the baby."
Courtesy Kolbe, Sabrina is living in a fully furnished 2 bedroom cement bungalow house in Hattieville. The spacious residence has all the amenities for the new mother and baby Destiny including a laundry room. A female guard from the Hattieville Prison is also posted with Sabrina 24 hours a day to help her care for baby Destiny.
Bernadine Reid,
"Everything for Sabrina; groceries, the baby, everything is being take care of by Kolbe."
Sabrina Eiley,
"They provide food, everything, washing machine, everything for the baby. I thank him a lot for everything he is doing and whoever else who is giving help."
Keith Swift,
If you weren't here where would you have been?
Sabrina Eiley,
"Well I guess with my aunt or my sister but then my sister doesn't know much about baby either so I am wouldn't really stay there with my sister...she doesn't give me trouble. Tomorrow she will go back to the clinic again and get her injection."
Keith Swift,
You're enjoying life as a free mother?
Sabrina Eiley,
"Yes but it is a lot of stress but it is good."
But it won't be good forever. Sabrina is expected to leave the house she now calls home within the next two months. Thereafter she will be on her own and Sabrina says she is keenly aware of that.
Sabrina Eiley,
"I will graduate from a class soon and from then I will start working at Old Belize until I get on my foot and everything and I will take it from there and take it home from there. I feel good to have people who are by my side because I don't really have a lot of family in Belize, most of my family is in the States so it would have been hard for me to be here by myself. Yes, it would have been hard."
Anyone wishing to help Sabrina can do so through the Kolbe Foundation by contacting Bernadine Reid.
