Lan is a 30-year-old police officer and the mother of twins. Although most couples are subject to the one child policy in China, twins are an exception to this rule, and they are especially lucky in Chinese culture.
Meet the Mamas
We interviewed 11 mothers around the world on a variety of topics for Mamas' Voices. Watch longer versions of their individual video interviews here. You may be surprised by what's different--and what's strikingly similar--in their experiences of motherhood.
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China -
USASana is 18 years old and from Chicago, Illinois, USA. She has a one-year-old son, Kevin. She talks about the challenges of pursuing an education as a young parent, but says she doesn’t regret her decision to have a baby so young. -
KenyaLusina is a member of the Turkana tribe of Northern Kenya. She is the mother of five children. -
ColombiaAdela could not have children naturally, so she and her husband adopted a daughter. She loves being a mother, and says that she would be sad and lonely if she didn’t have her daughter Patricia in her life. -
AfghanistanMomufa is an Afghan mother of four, living in Kabul. Though some Afghan women may seem shy and reserved, they are incredibly strong and the cornerstone of every Afghan family. -
LiberiaWinnie is a single teen mom who lives in a small, floorless shack in a neighborhood outside Monrovia, Liberia. She became pregnant three years ago at 13 years old. Winnie is struggling to raise her son, Belesed, with very little support. -
NigeriaChristy is in her late thirties and comes from the southeastern part of Nigeria. She is unable to conceive, and it is causing friction in her marriage. -
NorwayAnne is a middle-class mother from Norway – the best country in the world to be a mother, according to the aid agency Save the Children. Nevertheless, her life hasn’t been free from tragedy; she lost one child in labor, despite access to the very best maternal health care. -
ColombiaWhen Patricia was 19 years old, she became pregnant and gave her baby up for adoption because she didn’t feel prepared to be a mother at the time. She got married after college, and at 25, she gave birth to a son named Juan Felipe. -
HungaryBea is a human rights lawyer living in Budapest, Hungary, with her husband and their two children, Peter (5) and Julia (3). As a lawyer she has been extensively involved with the home birth movement. She has an insider point of view, as she gave birth to her children at home, under a government which does not support the practice. -
USAStephanie is a 17-year-old Latina American of Mexican descent and has a two-year-old daughter, Jaylene. She is still with Jaylene’s father, who has been very supportive as a partner. Stephanie attends Long Island University's Certified Nurse Administrator program. She lives in Queens, New York, with her family.
