I'm Sayeda
Sayeda moved to the UK in 2019 to join her husband. Unfortunately, soon after she arrived he started abusing her. It got so bad that when Sayeda had to choose between staying with him or facing the streets at the peak of a pandemic, she chose the streets.
Sayeda didn’t know anyone in London, and when she escaped everything was shut because of lockdown. She tried to ask for help, but everyone turned her away – even her local council. No one took the time to speak with her, to give her the support she had a right to and that she desperately needed. She was left with nowhere to go. And although she didn’t know it yet, Sayeda was pregnant.
Thankfully, she found her way to Praxis.
As soon as she came to us, we knew that we had to act fast. Our legal team immediately started to work to make sure Sayeda could access support independently from her abuser, and that she could get the documents she needed so that no one would turn her away again in the future. While our legal team worked to secure the support Sayeda needed to get back on her feet, we made sure she had somewhere safe to stay – first in a refuge, and then in our housing project.
“Every day I thank God I met Praxis in my life.”
Coming to Praxis and moving into our house was a turning point for Sayeda.
It took a few months of relentless work, but in the end we secured access to mainstream, safe housing for Sayeda and her baby girl, Ruli.
Sayeda has faced so many challenges in 2020 - moving to a new country, escaping her abuser, having a baby and finding somewhere safe to live – all in the midst of a pandemic. Now she is building a new life for herself and her baby. Her biggest hope is for Ruli to grow up in safety.