Sandra
A rewarding journey
“Life hasn’t been easy to be honest”
I ended up with a partner who was with the gang, I didn’t realise what I was getting myself into. The first few months was good and then the verbal and mental abuse started. He began using drugs and alcohol, selling and began assaulting me, all the time, like every second day. This abuse led to me losing the care of my daughter which really left me isolated and alone.
“I didn’t know what to do, so I would hide away from people and not talk. I thought I was alone and that I was the only one going through this violence. I was very mad at everyone, and we then decided to move to Dunedin to start a fresh start".
My partner decided to go to Moana House to get help then as he had previously been there. Then they asked me if I wanted to do After Care. “Sitting there with a black eye I was like yes please”.
I got a key worker who I worked with separately to my partner and she helped me get reconnected with my daughter, so I was allowed to talk to her. Through the Court I was allowed to talk to her two times a week. “ I felt so great, but wish she was with me full time and in the holidays”
Then she helped me get my confidence up and helped me get a volunteer job. At the same time I started an online retail course to which I have now completed. Which has now led to a full-time paid job in a manger role/2IC“I’m so grateful for keyworker helping me.”
Me and my partner still have a long way to go. All I can say is that we have to take one step at a time. “It’s been over a year now and it’s been a long journey, we still have a lot of work to do, the both of us.
I know that violence is not OK and isolating yourself is not very good. I’m so glad that Moana House and the team have helped. Thank you, Moana House, thank you for helping me I really don’t know where I would be if you weren’t there to help me. To be honest I would be most probably dead or in hospital. They are the only place for help we tried in Wellington but there was no help there at all.
