This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Single Mom's Struggle: Rejected for Being a Single Parent ¶
Published on September 26, 2019
Carolyne Maina, a social media manager at Pulse Live, has chosen to look at the positive side of being a single mom despite her baby daddy walking away when she was seven months pregnant.
She narrates the painful moments that led her to the current situation: 'Way later, he told me that he panicked and he was not ready. Apparently, he thought he was young and I couldn’t get it since he was three years older. It was a lot of petty reasons that really didn’t make sense to me.'
Alone with a young one looking up to her, Carol had to roll up her sleeves to ensure the son never lacked. What she hadn’t known yet, was that her bundle of joy would affect her career growth. That this blessing would later make her miss on some important life opportunities.
She recalls how she missed a lifetime opportunity that she was craving for: 'I had applied for this job and even went for an interview. When they were calling to confirm that I got the job, they heard my baby crying. The woman on the other side asked if I had a baby and I said yes. Then she asked if I was married and I said no, she was like, ‘this is not for you.’ She didn’t even give me a chance to ask why. She just hung up.'
Carol says that single motherhood comes with a whole lot of societal misconceptions. People assume the worst of you and your kid. 'It’s not just about missing opportunities, it is about the image that people have about you. They assume your baby is mannerless, they assume your baby won’t have a good life like their peers with two parents.'
Although Carol’s son is only two years, she can’t deny the fact that he is somehow missing out on the father’s love and presence. 'There isn’t so much impact because he is only two years. I have my dad and my brother, and I am seeing someone. Those three people have an impact on his life.'
