They showed me someone out there wanted me to live.
A life full of dreams
Before she became a refugee, Nadine was a university student with ambitions of becoming a journalist. She loved spending time with family, cooking together and imagining what the future might hold.
Then everything changed.
As violence and propaganda spread, people were targeted because of their ethnicity. Friends disappeared. Families went into hiding. Suddenly, staying meant risking everything.
I felt Congolese. I had never even been to Rwanda.
Someone helped Nadine.
Your donation today could help another survivor begin rebuilding their life.
Running for her life
One afternoon her aunt gave her a single instruction. Nadine ran.
She climbed a six-foot wall.
She left behind her home, her family and the future she'd imagined.
Eventually she reached the UK alone.
She had £20.
She knew nobody.
She had survived torture.
But survival wasn't the end of her story.
Help someone begin their recovery.
Healing isn't just physical
Escaping torture doesn't mean the trauma ends.
Nadine experienced nightmares, flashbacks and overwhelming loneliness.
Like many survivors, she struggled to trust anyone. She thought nobody could understand what she'd lived through.
The day everything started to change
Eventually another charity referred Nadine to Freedom from Torture.
For the first time, someone understood.
Specialist therapists recognised the effects of torture and created a safe place where she could begin rebuilding her life.
"They showed me someone out there wanted me to live."
Where Nadine is today
Today Nadine is Head of Survivor Activism at Freedom from Torture.
She campaigns against torture.
She works alongside MPs.
She helps shape our work using her lived experience.
She's also a mother.
A colleague.
A leader.
A survivor.
Supporters helped make this possible.
Help another survivor find hope.
Today, too many survivors are still waiting for specialist therapy. Your donation could help someone begin their journey towards healing.
Why support is urgently needed
Demand for specialist therapy continues to grow.
At the same time, funding pressures mean difficult decisions have to be made.
Right now, Freedom from Torture can only support around one in three people referred for help.
Every donation helps protect specialist services that survivors depend on.
