Hana's story

Having fled domestic abuse, Hana found herself in unsafe and unclean temporary accommodation with her two children... It just wasn’t a place that they could safely recover from experiencing domestic violence. Then Hana met Cyrenians, and with the help of the WiSH (Women in Safe Homes Fund) project, moved into her own flat. The WiSH project is supported by the pioneering Women in Safe Homes fund, created in response to the need for safe, decent housing for women who are more likely to experience homelessness as a result of living in an abusive household.  
 
As the fund’s first Scottish partner, Cyrenians are providing desperately needed safe homes for women experiencing domestic abuse and homelessness, specifically in Edinburgh where a shortage of housing is most acutely felt - giving people the space to heal, rebuild and access lasting support with safe, stable housing.

This is Hana’s story.  

"I came to Scotland because my ex-partner is Scottish and he wanted us to live and start a family here. We were living in the Borders, but after experiencing months and months of abuse that left me isolated and afraid, I had to leave my home and take refuge in a homeless shelter in Edinburgh with my two children. 

I thought it would be a short-term solution - but we were there for almost four months. 

Even though at the time I appreciated the support and a place to go, the temporary housing we found ourselves in just wasn’t somewhere you’d choose to stay with small children. Living there had a really negative impact on myself and my young family… 

The shelter was not just for women and children, so I felt incredibly nervous while we were there.  

Day and night we overheard people arguing with each other, and my children were forced to witness more anger, violence and fear. Every time we used the communal kitchen I felt afraid because it often meant I had to be in a closed space with lots of men - it wasn’t a place that me or my children felt safe in having just fled domestic abuse. 
 
The people who ran the shelter were really nice, but the accommodation wasn’t safe for a young family – our room had a very bad smell all the time, and the toilet was broken and filthy. The building next door, run by the same shelter organisation, was a rehab facility for drug dependent people, which meant that the police came quite often and there were often incidents with residents, night and day. 
 
But then I met Cyrenians and got involved with the WiSH project. Now I am living in a flat of our own - in safe and stable supported housing with my two kids. The new home we were offered by the WiSH project is totally different from the shelter. It’s really clean, safe, and everything has been well cared for. When I was in the shelter, I often felt like I’d done something wrong and that I must have no worth to be living here. But now I really feel that I am supported by people not only materially but also mentally.  

 I couldn’t have expected such a peaceful life.  

While we were in the shelter, I was always worried about the children’s education and keeping them engaged at school despite their difficult situation at home. But now we’ve been given a great environment and they’ve been going to a new school.  

We are so much less isolated from society now. Now we’ve got a chance to feel happiness and laugh – and even think about a happy future.  

It would be almost impossible for me to manage with my family any longer in the shelter because there was only one room, and we didn’t have any chance to get into the community in the local area. I couldn’t do it any longer.  

 Having a stable home has given me back human dignity.  

When we were in the shelter, I constantly felt like I had done something wrong and that I should be ashamed of myself. It was really difficult for me to explain to my kids why we were there. When they’d ask, “why are we here, why can’t we have a normal life like other people have?” I struggled to answer.  

 Having a place to live has made us feel positive again, and the children have started to get their confidence back. Since moving into the flat, I’ve started to feel that I can make decisions for myself and choose my own life again. I don’t have to worry if anyone gets angry at me for what I’m doing… Some things are still not easy but honestly this is the first time I’ve felt like I’m at home.  

I’d never felt like I had a home like I do now because when I was young my father was both physically and mentally abusive. Even when I left my parents, I just ended up facing more trouble with my partner. So, I didn’t have a chance to like being at home, or to feel safe and relaxed. Now I love staying at home. Even though it’s not always perfectly clean because of kids making lots of mess, I still feel that it’s our place and there’s nothing to worry about!  

The Cyrenians team helped us a lot – they gave us a sense of direction for starting a new life. For example, they helped me to find a gas and electric company, register to pay city tax, look for schools and they’ll even help me with my CV and find opportunities for me to gain work experience. They even provided us with lots of food when we moved in as well - so that we could find our feet as we found out where to go get groceries and other things we needed.  

The property is furnished perfectly, so we didn’t really need to do anything to start a new life. I always wanted my kids to have chances to learn if they wanted to. I think that living here is going to be a big advantage for their education. Having access to a good education is key to having a better life. Even though I didn’t have a great family background, learning has always helped give me more options and choices in life.  

Even though I lived in Scotland with my husband, I’d never worked here - he didn’t want me to. So I want to keep working with Cyrenians and think about what I can do. Someday, I want to be like the people who helped me to get here, and I want to repay this country in some way. The biggest challenge I will face in the coming year is supporting my children’s mental health and making sure I’m there for them. I also want to keep myself healthy so I can care for them the best I can. It’ll all just be so much easier now we have a home.  

I’d like to say thank you to Cyrenians and WiSH - thank you so much. "

 Learn more about our partnership with the WiSH Project here.