Badea*, a 37-year girl, from a small village 2 hours far from Taiz city. She belongs to a poor family of 9 members, distributed many ways. Some of them have left life, others have travelled due to current situation and no news about them.

Badea has started her life as an ambitious girl that works for learning to attain the university degree. As a result, for this ambition, she become a hostage of her home. “My father has left from life, while our financial condition got even worse, that made me enter into a deep depression”, she added.

She didn’t surrender, and frequently tried to stand again, searching for the way. Her father’s death carried a bigger influence on her life, changed it upside down. She said that she was exposed to oppression by her brothers, controlling all her life’s details, as she was the smallest. “My brothers were preventing me from everything, taking the decision on behalf of me, as I was their maid”, she added.

After the death of their father, dispute and domination tries were the only prevalent feature between the brothers. “I have always believed that our family is disjointed, that grew up of parents’ quarrel and sons’ hatred. It was not surprising that each of them takes a different road to reach the domination on the others”, Badea said. “They used to take such a method to deal with each other, however they band together on one thing which is to insult and humiliate me”, she added.

Badea has possessed a lot of power and patience towards that and could acquire interest from others to go on. She urged that their special interests only were the reason behind keeping her, and when spending their interests dropped her out. If she could have an income source, she would not bear such a humiliation, and would depend on herself with no other troubles.

She indicated that the existing of her on-bed blind mother was one reason behind her tolerance, and she was the only one that reduces life’s obstacles. “I was moving with my mother among the brothers’ homes. Whenever one started to complain, we moved to another one”.

According to Badea, she moved with the blind mother to live at a married sister’s home. Initially, her sister was little complaining, while her husband was urging her to calm down and accept the situation. Here, Badea has felt somehow stabile. “But suddenly, my sister husband’s way of dealing with me has been changed. He tended to be more familiar, and even started to harass with me”, she added.

Badea continued to say “I was quarrelling with him, on the same time tried to be careful that my sister and mother know nothing about the matter. I was aware of their feeling and reaction”. The continuing of such a position made Badea feel sad, isolated, and nervous from any simple thing.

Such a condition of depending on others has insured for her the fact that she must become economically independent, relies on herself, to be able to resist such a renewed domestic violence. Her self- dependence would make her powerful, able to get rid of others dominance.

While Badea was continuing her searching for an income source, she came to know from some friend about Alhoban Safe Space, the training and economical support that they introduce to girls through small projects. “I immediately rushed to the Safe Space, and there I found the safety that I’ve ever lack for among my family”, she said.

Badea has also provided with several awareness and psychological support sessions, as a survivor from violence. The sessions have retrieved to her self- dependence, the ability to push violence out of here, and preparation of economical enabling to attain the financial independence from the violence reasons.

“After the sessions, I was chosen to a sewing arts training, and I was formerly passionate of this craft. I become very happy while enabling me by providing a sewing machine with all accessories along with fabrics to start my own small project that would make me dispense of my family and rely on myself.

Badea has also ensured that her spirits got improved, started sewing, making clothes, and sell them. “Since short duration, I could make about 15 various cloths, sell them. Nowadays, I’m working on expanding my project and to hire a small house for me and my mother”, she added.

She concluded to say “I’m full of trust of the success of my project. I hope to become a well-known tailor, and that the Safe Space may continue to support oppressed girls, like me, and improve their living conditions”.

 

*Nick name for privacy