More than a family
Marie was trafficked to the UK by family when she was just a child. She was kept in forced labour for eight years, during which time she was physically, emotionally and mentally abused.
When she was a teenager, Marie was sent back to West Africa, but things became even worse. She was deeply traumatised by what she’d been through and suffered a serious mental breakdown.
Trauma after trauma
No-one knew what to do, so Marie was locked in a room and subjected to more abuse, including exorcism. ‘I felt hopeless,’ says Marie.
Eventually, Marie was hospitalised, where medics recognised her vulnerability. They worked with an organisation to help Marie return to the UK for her safety, which is when she was referred to our safe house.
Marie was trafficked from a country in Africa to the UK when she was a child.
Safe and free
They [Ella’s] were so welcoming to me,’ says Marie. ‘When I opened the door, I fell in love with the room and I felt an instant relief.’
Marie says the support and community at Ella’s have helped her in so many ways. Since coming to Ella’s, her mental health has improved dramatically.
‘Ella’s have been more than a family to me. We cook together, we laugh. I just feel really grateful that I am not in this alone.'
'They helped me to access my university course. They helped me to get benefits, and I am doing a degree in fashion and textiles. I feel so liberated, I feel so free.’
“Ella’s have been more than a family to me.”
The casework support and community provided by Ella’s have made the world of difference for Marie. She moved out of the safe house into a flat, and is continuing to recover. She is determined to build a life that is independent, safe and free.
'Before I got here, I was really shattered emotionally. But they [Ella's] have just nourished me to become the person I’ve become today, which is really confident, and it’s all thanks to them.’
On the wall of Marie’s old bedroom at Ella’s is a mural that she painted herself (pictured below). It is of a face that has been split into two halves, surrounded by flowers.
‘The dark part symbolises the night,’ says Marie, who still faces challenges as a result of what she’s been through. ‘And the light part symbolises the day. I drew the flowers to symbolise hope. Because regardless of the season, they grow.’
We need the support of people like you, to continue our crucial work with women like Marie. If you can, please click below to donate today.
All photos: Tom Price/Ella’s