“When I was 13 years old, a family-friend of my parents sexually assaulted me.

He continued to do so for five more years until I finally built up the courage to tell my brother. Alhamdulillah, he was supportive and believed me but things got out of hand when he confronted our uncle.

The confrontation got physical to the point where the police were called, and in the end, my worst nightmare became apparent: my parents did not believe me. They accused us of lying and bringing shame to our family and kicked us out of the house. On top of the trauma of sexual assault, knowing that my parents were not on my side broke my heart.

My brother found a place to stay with his friends but I couldn’t stay with them, so we got in touch with Nisa Homes who took me in. They didn’t just help me, but also helped my brother and I find a place together, helped him find a job and supported me to finish school.

It’s been a difficult journey, but they have helped me realize that it wasn’t my fault. I got the counselling I needed and now I’m finally learning to love myself!”

**This story is based on a real Nisa Homes’ client. However, details and names have been changed to protect identities of all involved.**