A foundling is defined as “a young child who is left by its parents and then found and cared for by someone else.”
But in Datuk Dr Hartini Zainudin’s debut children’s book, The Foundling, they are a symbol of hope, shining brightly in their own right.
Hartini, widely and respectfully known as “Tini”, is a dedicated social advocate who has long championed the rights of marginalised and stateless children.
Her commitment to this vulnerable population has earned her considerable respect within both local communities and the broader human rights sector.
She co-founded Yayasan Chow Kit, a non-profit that supports at-risk children, and has adopted and raised eight children, many of them foundlings.
“I have been working with children for many years, so I’ve seen how heartbreaking and difficult it is to not know who your parents are and to not have a family to belong to," says Hartini during a recent reading session to introduce her book at a cafe in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
In the book, the protagonist, a foundling, gets adopted by parents who love her. With their support, she faces all obstacles and stumbling blocks thrown her way with perseverance and determination, eventually reaching her dream of reaching the stars and becoming an astronaut.
“Foundlings don’t have legal documents, so they’re also not recognised as a citizen of any country. This means that they’re unable to go to school or have access to health services,” she says.
“I wrote the book out of frustration because of what’s been happening to these children – they aren’t just nameless faces to me, they are children that I know. I also wanted a happy story for foundlings, where they get to have a family of their own and the same opportunities as everybody else.”
Facilitating discussions
Published by OyezBooks, proceeds from the book’s sale will go to Madhya’s Gift, Yayasan Chow Kit’s emergency and critical healthcare fund for children in need.
“Madhya’s Gift is a new initiative we’ve set up that allows equitable access to health services for children to cut down on the mortality rates for children, especially those under five years old,” says Hartini.
“Currently, for marginalised children, the mortality rate for children under five is about 600 deaths a year for the past nine years. These are recorded numbers. So we want to build a network and ecosystem to minimise this,” she explains.
The book is written in English and Bahasa Malaysia and includes an explainer at the end that parents and educators can use to facilitate discussions with children about foundlings and the challenges they face.
“I want to reach as wide an audience as possible, because a lot of the work that we do, especially with families, are really Malaysian children, Malaysian mothers, Malaysian people who, because they have a lack of support, actually leave their children in places they shouldn’t,” she says.
The book features illustrations by Malaysian artist Ranerrim (currently based in London). She has exhibited widely in both Malaysia and internationally, most notably the Venice Biennale (fringe event) in Italy in 2022 and Documenta 15 (2022) in Kassel, Germany, alongside her art collective, Projek Rabak.
Hartini says that while it took her about 30 years to write The Foundling, she’s already in the process of completing her second book.
“It’s another children’s picture book, of course. It’s basically about me – a naughty, playful girl – and my relationship with my mother. It should be released by the end of this year, so keep a lookout for it,” she concludes.
The Foundling is available at the Duke Museum of Picture Book Art at GMBB, Kuala Lumpur and other good bookstores.
