The modern-day Captain Hook is swift and lethal and doesn’t stop at unloading an oil tanker in the middle of the night or robbing a luxury yacht in broad daylight. And he is not likely to leave any witnesses.

The marina in Manila, the capital of the Philippines: the typical postcard view with palm trees in the background and white sails in the forefront. It is just after 10 p.m. Peter and a few friends are kicking back aboard his yacht: chilled champagne, caviar, and a half million dollars in antique gold coins below deck. Suddenly, seven heavily armed men leap onto the deck.

Picture this: The setting sun is spreading a warm glow over your small rural village, but you are inside your house doubled over with intestinal pain. All you want is for darkness to fall so you can stagger out into the night, find a relatively secluded spot in the fields and void your bowels. You have been resisting the urge to defecate for most of the day as it is considered disgraceful in your community for a woman to be seen heeding nature’s call.

You sometimes suffer from urinary tract infections and constipation, and you have almost been bitten by scorpions and snakes while squatting in the open. You have even suffered sexual violence at the hands of unknown men under the cover of night. You fear for your own health and safety, and for that of your young daughter and disabled mother. Your life is tormented by the taboo of poo.

In the dead of night, Sandy* lies awake, listening to the sounds of the house. A safe ambience permeates within its walls, as her parents sleep soundly in the next room. When the world finally shuts its eyes and the distractions of the day falls away, her mind wonders back to her son; as it usually does.

You see, this isn’t her house. This isn’t her life.

An indescribable emptiness at her core was once filled with the brightest light in Sandy’s life – her child. When he finally succumbed to an incurable condition half a decade ago – in her arms – the world took on a whole new palette of hues and dimensions. As her tangible life crumbled, the undertow of her ethereal life grew stronger.