Kadijah is from Sierra Leone and she travelled to the UK with her new husband, who is considerably older than her. Over time he became abusive and very violent towards her, causing her to flee to a refuge. Her husband then cancelled her visa, and she was left homeless, pregnant and with no recourse to public funds.
When the service first engaged Kadijah she was very low and often just stayed in her hostel room. Kadijah was matched with a Volunteer Befriender who visited her at home, and also supported her as a birth partner when her baby was born in May 2008. Kadijah attended the Drop-in for Mums and Babies at the Newpin Centre and started getting to know other mums. The Perinatal Support Project was able to give Kadijah some nearly new clothes for the baby and also lent a Baby Bouncy chair and a pushchair (both since returned and lent on to someone else). A grant of £150 from ‘BBC Children in Need’ was obtained for other essential items for the baby.
With support from the Volunteer Befriender in the early postnatal period, Kadijah went on to establish successful breast-feeding. Kadijah also attended counselling with domestic violence services, to help her understand the cycles of abuse, so she is able to avoid such relationships in the future.
The Newpin trained Volunteer Befriender is an African Nigerian mother of five, who is also in other paid employment, and has trained in Doula birth partnering. She is passionate about supporting young mothers, helping them develop healthy attachments with their babies and having aspirations for their personal development too.
Kadijah has since been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, and now has a flat as temporary housing, and she is claiming Housing Benefit and Income Support. The change in Kadijah is remarkable. She is full of laughter and is making plans for her future, including going to college. By supporting Kadijah towards better mental health it means a brighter future for both herself and her son.
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