Radio dramas: The White Cloth

“The White Cloth”

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Story Outline

Sophary is a teenage-woman who was living in a very traditional and strict family in her hometown. She could not stand her family, with her parents who always told and guided her to do everything she mostly did not want to do and also prohibited her from doing what she wanted. Sophary then decides to ask her friend, Phina, to help her escape to live in the capital. She becomes a factory worker in a firm named “Soksabay”. While working there, she meets a man, Vira, who she considers as her future husband. They finally make a serious relationship, which ends up with pregnancy.

Sophary is a completely white blank cloth who knows nothing about how to take care of herself during pregnancy, but fortunately she has Phina who is a member of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee. Phina explains to her the advantages of ante-natal checks at the hospital. After finding out that Sophary is pregnant, Vira decides to leave her alone with a two-month-old embryo inside her abdomen.

Sophary can not live with this shame at all, so she goes to see the doctor following Phina’s advice, not with a thought of having the health check but abortion instead. The doctor explains to her about the negative impact of abortion and tells Sophary of her own experience raising her children alone for 15 years since her husband left. Sophary makes up her mind and decides to keep the baby, full of confidence and fully supported by her best friend. The doctor also explains to her about the three groups of healthy food that she needs to eat.

One day, Phina goes to talk with Vira about leaving Sophary, while he is drinking with his friend in front of the rent house. As a result, Phina is raped and ends up with another baby. The two best friends both become pregnant but they both agree with a strong commitment to raise their babies alone without fathers. Phina is a strong-hearted person, and at the end is voted to be a committee member of the factory.

Three main messages:

1-  Go to the health centre after recently missing period

2-  Three main groups of healthy food

3-  Eating safety at clean environment

  

Produced by ៖        Voice of Democracy VOD​​​

Sponsored by ៖      (MDG-F Joint Programme)  via Better Factories Cambodia of ILO