A. grew up in an unstable home and without a sense of belonging. She had difficulty fitting in, both academically and socially, and graduated from school without real tools, without experiencing success and with low self-esteem. At a young age, she began working in a store, where she met her partner, who would become the father of her children. Shortly after meeting him, she moved in with him, near his family. That's when the violence began, which worsened over time, especially after the children were born.
The partner was convicted and imprisoned for the acts he committed against her. Despite the deep hurt, A. visited him in prison and, despite the severe violence, planned to resume the relationship after his release.
The turning point came when he was released from prison: A. realized that she was in real danger and needed immediate protection. She was referred to a shelter in the south of Israel, where she began her new path. After a period in the shelter, she moved, with her children, to one of our transitional apartments, to continue the rehabilitation process they so desperately needed.
When she came to us, she was in a difficult emotional state and had trouble functioning. The children, who also suffered from the trauma of violence and instability, were not in appropriate educational settings and needed assessments to receive the right educational and emotional response.
The reality at home was chaotic and exhausting, but Step by step, the changes began: the children entered appropriate educational frameworks, and after months in which she felt she was incapable, A. was able to begin working, which restored her sense of self-worth and faith in her abilities.
She continued to face many challenges: She felt isolated and lonely. But thanks to the strength she began to discover, she was able to renew her connection with her mother and siblings, another sign of personal growth.
One of the significant figures who has been acompanying A. throughout her stay in the transitional apartment is Michal, her volunteer-mentor, who shares: "What does it mean to be there for her? It is to encourage and support during days of crisis, hope and change, days of a gradual return to an independent life, outside the shelter, of building a new, safe and stable home for her and her children. To shine a light on the beautiful and strong sides in her. To remind her of the path she has already taken to save herself and her children from the hell they were living in, and how she is now walking with them on a new path."
Today, A. is at the end of her second year in the transitional apartment. The children are completing a year of stability in appropriate educational settings. She feels safer and, most importantly, more capable.
Although A. is not yet completely independent, and the family needs continued support, which they will receive as part of our Community Rehabilitation Program, she is no longer the same woman who came to us.
Today, she is taking steps on a new path – a path of respect, stability, and faith in a better future. |
From the words of Batsheva, during a discussion at Knesset's Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, on the subject of the rights of women leaving shelters: "After we left the shelter, I had a clear direction and knew I wanted to work. But then, I find myself in a new reality, with two children on my back, without any savings, without a degree, or any impressive status, and after years of violence and brainwashing.
As he would say to me: 'You're nothing. You're trash. What would you do without me? Let me talk to the bank, let me talk to the neighbors. You don't have to work - stay at home.'
After the whole process I've been through, don't I deserve to work at something that gives me a sense of pride? Even to take a short course in a field I love? And this is so that I can give my children a normal life - one that allows us to sleep with the air conditioner on at night without counting every minute, and so that I won't have a problem when I have to buy my daughter her school supplies for first grade?"
Even after decades of proven success, the Israeli governemnt subsidizes only about one-third of the cost of a woman's participation in a transitional apartment.
Thank you to each and every one of you, for your share in building a bridge for the women towards independent lives and personal and financial strength, after their stay in the shelter. |