When Home Isn't Safe: A Story of Survival and Support

To protect the survivor's identity, names, ages, locations, and other identifying details in this story have been changed. It reflects a real case handled by LEWAF's Response and Advocacy program.

For years within her own home, a young mother endured a routine that stripped her of any real say over her own life — expected to carry out unpaid domestic labor for her partner's extended family, with little recognition or respect in return. The abuse was economic and psychological as much as physical, until one refusal — declining to do an in-law's laundry on a particular day — triggered a violent attack that left her with serious injuries requiring urgent medical care.

A community leader referred her to LEWAF. While she received medical treatment, LEWAF formally referred the case to police, and those responsible were taken into custody. But what she wanted next surprised the team: not prosecution, but compensation. She and her partner had been together for years and had children together; she asked LEWAF to help her negotiate a settlement instead of pursuing a criminal case, and the team supported her decision. A compensation agreement was reached.

The relationship still ended — and with it came an unexpected crisis. Years of isolation within the relationship meant she had lost contact with her own family and had nowhere to go. LEWAF provided her with temporary refuge while its team worked to trace her relatives, ultimately reuniting her with family she had not seen in years. Before she left LEWAF's care, the team worked with the Family Support Unit to secure a formal child maintenance agreement, ensuring her former partner continues to contribute to their child's upbringing.

She is now rebuilding her life — running a small business and living safely with family who never stopped wanting her back.