When people ask me about my job and the work that we do, I nearly always get the same response. “Why didn’t she just leave?” Or, “that must be a terrible job”. My answer is always that I feel privileged to work with the women I meet. To support women from start to end on their road to freedom is one that I never take for granted.
At Anu, we understand exactly how hard it is to “just leave”. We understand the tactics abusers use to make women stay, we understand the fear, we understand that the scariest decision any women can make is to leave, and we understand the courage and strength it takes to take that first step and reach out for help or support.
To watch women grow in confidence, come to understand that the abuse is not her fault and to see them smile again is something I always cherish. One of our main goals is to break down as many barriers as possible for women who are experiencing domestic abuse. No woman should ever have a barrier when seeking safety and freedom from domestic abuse.
The women we work with are survivors, not victims, they are empowered and supported to make the decisions about their lives and how they would like to live.
I would encourage any women needing support to make the call and reach out, our kettle is always on. Someone is always available for a chat, sometimes that all you might need. To talk, be listened to, believed and understood.
