The stories of two strong women who never surrender to obstacles in life

It is true love that drives one to battle through hardships with a will to sacrifice their own happiness for the best of the other.  

To celebrate this Mother’s Day, Grab would like to share the inspiring stories of two strong Grab drivers – Srisamhorn “Mhorn” Charoensuk, a single mom who would do anything to secure a bright future for her children, and Suchitra “Oi” Prajprueng, a grateful daughter who works tirelessly to take care of her disabled mom.

Their heartwarming stories reflect the infinite power of love that will touch the hearts of every mother and child this Mother’s Day. 

 

A fighter mom who devotes her entire life to “a bright future for her daughter”

Srisamhorn “Mhorn” Charoensuk, a 57-year-old mother of two from Chiang Rai, shared her story as a single mom who started raising her youngest three-year-old daughter on her own that she used to sell Thai desserts to earn a living.

All was good until all the burdening family expenses forced her to borrow from a loan shark, which later brought her into great debt.

Her daily income became only sufficient for her family to survive as the day goes by. 

The turning point began when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, income from selling desserts went down significantly and it was the same time as when her youngest daughter required money to attend university.

“I was so happy and proud of my daughter when she got accepted to Chiang Mai University majoring in Animation and Visual Effects. At the same, the pressure of the foreseeable expenses weighed me down immensely. The student loan alone was not enough to cover all expenses. I was struggling with the dwindling earnings I got from selling the desserts. As a mom, I could not give up my children’s future because it is the most important thing. I saw Grab drivers riding on the street and thought to give it a try,” She said.

After working as a Grab driver and the earnings from Grab surpassed those from selling desserts, Mhorn turned to work for Grab full time.

With GrabBenefits and GrabFinance for drivers, she was able to pay off her debt from the loan shark, finance her daughter’s university tuition fee, start collecting savings, and, most importantly, get to spend more time with her daughters.

“My daughter will graduate in the next few months. To be able to support my children on their chosen path and see them doing things that make them happy is my proudest moment as a mom," She said. 

" Driving with Grab allows me to live comfortably. From regularly borrowing money from a loan shark, today I earn enough money and have time to spend and eat delicious foods with my daughters. I would not trade this kind of happiness with anything else,” Mhorn closed the sharing session with a smile on her face.

“A mom’s smile” is a precious joy 

Suchitra “Oi” Prajprueng, a 39-year-old grateful daughter living with her 80-year-old mom who is a psychiatric patient and disabled.

From a young age, she recalled that her mom has always suffered from psychiatric disorders. She cared for her mom before and after school while her dad provided for the family.

Her dad passed away when she was in Grade 11. She then fought through until graduating high school and chose not to pursue higher education to start working and providing for her mom. 

Their lives continued ordinarily until three years ago when Oi’s mother fell and broke her bone. She underwent surgery but due to osteoporosis, she could no longer walk.

“Earlier, even though my mom suffers from mental illness, she could still manage around, feed herself, and do shores. She even did my laundry. Since she could not walk, I needed to find another job where I can have more time to care for her. I have tried working different jobs but none is as flexible as being a Grab driver. Due to her unstable conditions, I needed a job where I can manage my own time. Grab gives me this flexibility and allows me to come home and have dinner with my mom every day,” she said.  

Growing up in a challenging situation with her mother has shaped Oi to be optimistic. She was able to overcome the pity of others with her mother as the main source of moral support. “My mom constantly talks to herself and cannot control her emotions. Some days she can be unstable and throw a tantrum. I have to be ready to meet every version of her. It seems like I have to solely take care of her but she does care for me as well. She even enjoys doing shores now too. 10 years ago when I was having a hard time, she encouraged me by saying ‘It is okay, we can start anew,’ it may seem like a simple sentence for most but for a psychiatric patient like my mom, this ability to think logically does not come by often. This sentence has become a reminder of mine until today.”

Before wrapping up the sharing session, Oi revealed her intention for this year’s Mother’s Day:

“This year I intend to borrow upfront cash from GrabFinance to get a wheelchair for my mom. The loan has a daily instalment plan which is very fitting for me as I drive Grab every day. I want to take her on a trip to dine out together. It may not be an exciting activity but it gives us great joy. To see my mom smile is something that I truly live for,” Oi ended the session with a smile of a proud daughter.   

What these two stories share in common is the willpower to fight through any life challenges and find their kind of happiness. It could be the happiness of raising children to become good citizens and follow their dreams or the happiness of being a daughter who provides, with gratitude, a good life for her mother.

This Mother’s Day, Grab would like to cheer up every mother and child who is going through hardship to never give up, just like Mhorn and Oi, the two Grab female warriors/drivers who tackle every challenge with a beautiful smile.