At 17, Jemina (not her real name) packed her bags and left home.After her father died and her mother remarried, the house no longer felt safe to her. There was often no food at home for her after school or during holidays, and she would stay in her room.She moved into her junior college's hostel, but left a few months before her A-level exams because her lease ran out after she repeated one year. By then, her mother and stepfather had made it clear to her that they did not want her back home after some conflict, she told The Straits Times.Her nights were then spent in friends' homes or in public areas.The then teenager would carry her luggage with her during the day, spend time at playgrounds at night, or pull all-nighters at 24-hour fast-food chains.When she turned 20 and was accepted into a university, she moved into a student dormitory. But due to eyesight issues and mental health concerns, she decided to withdraw from school to focus on recovery.Jemina, who is now living with a family who opened their home to her, struggles to share her vulnerable past with anyone her age. Read more