Single mothers break easy-life stereotypes

In today’s society single mothers who have the courage to take responsibility are not uncommon. One such case is the story of single mother Xiaofang, who at a young 23 years old has a 3-year-old child. She decided to dig deep and rely on her own hard work to raise her child, not choosing abortion to escape responsibility - showing great courage in the face of such difficulties.

Xiaofang works as a saleswoman in a fashion shop. With a child to raise and a job as a salesclerk in a busy high street store to maintain, Xiaofang needs to burn the candle at both ends. Xiaofang remarked that although life is hard, when she sees the smile of her young son everything seems worthwhile. Shouldered with the responsibility of protecting this young life, Xiaofang has learned a lot about life. Xiaofang’s diligence in bringing up her young son has removed any possible stereotypes that she was part of the “Strawberry Generation” - grew up in a protected environment, spoilt and unable to take any pressure from life. She is truly a model for young people who find themselves in a similar situation.

There are many agencies providing support to single-parent families in society, such as Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) and the Social Affairs Bureau, both of whom provide single parents financial assistance and support.

PeoPo 公民新聞

Single mothers break easy-life stereotypes (by CJ shalin412)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/98622

(以下是中文對照)

單親媽媽一肩扛 揮別草莓族刻板印象 ( 俐臻 )( shalin412)

在現今的社會裡，單親媽媽並不少見，而勇於承擔的年輕人著實勇氣可嘉，公民記者報導一位單親媽媽小芳，年紀輕輕只有23歲，已經有一個3歲小孩，她決定靠自己雙手養活孩子，當初並沒有選擇墮胎來逃避責任，勇敢的面對困難。

小芳在一間潮店擔任銷售員，家庭工作兩頭燒，儘管生活辛苦，但看到孩子的笑容一切都覺得值得，有了這個小生命後讓小芳更顯得懂事更有肩膀，一切只為了有了想保護的人。揮別以往大眾對七年級生的草莓族刻板印象，這麼認真的對待小生命，可說是年輕人的典範。

而社會上也有許多救助單親家庭機構，如家扶基金會、社會局的婦女服務資源、單親兒童補助，都能幫助這些努力生活的單親媽媽，給予支持及力量。

為擴大服務範圍，自2010年4月起，PeoPo每周精選三則公民報導及相關活動與發展，翻譯成英文摘要，讓更多關心台灣公民新聞的朋友，瞭解台灣在地大小事。