Rennie* is the mother of two young children. A victim of unfortunate circumstances, she found herself in a difficult position and desperately needed money to survive and take care of children. At the time, Rennie believed that prostitution was her only option and was unaware of the dangers of the sex industry.
Since being involved in prostitution, Rennie has experienced violent assault and verbal abuse on the streets. She has also been spat at, had eggs thrown at her by members of the public, been arrested and left alone in a police cell for hours.
Rennie needed help but couldn’t find it. WOFM volunteers met her during outreach one night. Initially, she did not want to engage or talk to the team but eventually opened up for conversation. The team discovered that Rennie was living in a single room with her two children and that the friend she had been living with wanted them to leave, even though they had nowhere else to go.
Desperate, Rennie contacted us for help and we accompanied her to the homeless persons unit to make an emergency housing application. At the time, Rennie had no idea that she and her children were eligible for help with housing. Rennie has now been rehoused in suitable accommodation, she has a part-time job and has exited prostitution. We are so thrilled to have been a part of Rennie’s transition to a better life and we will continue to offer her and her children practical help and support.
*Real names have not been used to protect the identity of the victims.