Laila's Story

Laila and her two children have been trapped in untenable and exhausting circumstances, and Justine, her Adviser, is determined to fight for the whole family, whatever it takes.

“When I first spoke with Laila she was a woman crying out for help. Following domestic and financial abuse, she had been housed locally, but was told there were no school places available, and her two children were registered at a school that they could only attend using a public bus at a completely unsustainable £8 a day. While Laila fought, she paid the fares, but her limited means meant that eventually she was having to choose between feeding her kids or giving them an education. What a heartbreaking, appalling, and completely avoidable situation! 

“Her oldest son’s education has suffered terribly, especially as he has already been a victim of bullying and other issues at school. I’ve spent hours at Laila’s side helping her deal with the financial and mental strain, trying to keep her fighting spirit alive with debt support, food, and just being a listening ear. I even went with her to the school to help facilitate the discussions. 

“It wasn’t until we as REACH put pressure in all the right places, and advocated for her family, that they were eventually moved closer to home. I’ve seen her daughter come on leaps and bounds since she has some consistency, local friends and a mum who isn’t pushed to breaking point on a daily basis. 

“I just know that Laila is a victim of a system that has let her down, and of a terrible past that haunts her. Nothing about her situation is her fault, and it’s a powerful drive to fight for justice for her and her family. We’ve fixed the immediate problem, but there’s a long way to go to overcome the huge repercussions not only of the school situation, but the issues Laila faced before she moved. 

“I’m reminded of my own family, and but for the grace of God, any of us could be in the same situation. At the heart of all this turmoil are a desperate mum, and an eleven-year-old and fourteen-year-old children. There are two clear paths ahead of them, and my job is to make sure the support is in place to ensure they go down a path of education and hope, and have the opportunity of a better future. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.”