This Christmas young survivors need help
At just 16, Jean was forced to flee his home. He arrived in the UK isolated, alone and trapped in a complex asylum system that wouldn’t believe him.
Following a difficult and traumatic journey, Jean should have had a new beginning. Instead, he was filled with fear, uncertainty and isolation. Forced to leave behind everything he knew, at only 16, Jean faced Christmas completely alone.
“It was hard for me to heal from that experience. But I already survived from what I faced, and then came in the UK, fighting for my life again.”
Jean’s story is unique, but there are many young survivors of torture who will face unimaginable barriers to feeling joy this Christmas. Your charity donation today can wrap a survivor in safety, hope and care.
Jean was initially refused asylum and threatened to be returned to his torturers. His age was questioned. He was just a teenager but handled as an adult, isolating Jean further and leaving him to navigate complex systems and even more complex emotions.
With nowhere to turn and nobody to support him, Jean found himself on the streets as just a teenager. It took four long years until he was eventually believed by the authorities.
“I started living outside on the street. I was begging for money in train stations, sleeping on buses. I was all over the place. I felt like giving up and ending my life.”
Jean’s life was turned around when he started therapy and the community where he belonged.
You can give young survivors their strength and voice back with a gift today.
How your gift makes a difference
With your help, we can offer young survivors specialist therapy and help meet their immediate needs, they can feel safe and supported this Christmas. Your donation can rebuild lives and help people feel a little less alone with:
- Therapy sessions to heal trauma
- Warm clothes and food for winter
- A Christmas gift to show someone cares
- A place to belong during the festive season
Christmas without family
Jean’s childhood ended abruptly. Torture is rife in his native country, with the authorities using it as a tool of control. His father opposed the brutal regime, and Jean’s family became a target.
“My father was a leader in a political party that opposed the government. As a result, the government targeted him and our family.”
Christmas was the hardest time for Jean. While he saw other people celebrating with loved ones, he was his family and faced the pain of not knowing if his loved ones were even alive - to this day he has no idea where his father is.
Wrap a survivor in safety and hope
Jean found the safety and hope he desperately needed at Freedom from Torture. He is now thriving - happily married and helping young torture survivors to find their way back from torture as he has done.
Many young survivors still face a lonely Christmas. But your support can change that.