This is the story of Wagirah, the 30 year-old mother of a newborn baby. For her, it was a short-lived happiness. Two weeks after delivery, si buyung, as male toddlers in West Sumatra are fondly addressed, was traded to a baby-trading syndicate operating in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. The infant was sold for a mere Rp3.5 million, the equivalent price of a medium-sized TV set.

The baby was actually sold by Wagirahs own husband, without her