Before Mia* was abused at only 14 years old, she remembers a time that her life felt simple:
“Once, when I was young we went camping and I was in charge of lighting the fire. I remember striking the match and guarding that flame, keeping it safe until the paper and sticks caught alight. That trip was one of my few happy childhood memories. After that it all went back and that little girl went through so much. I wish I could have told her it wasn’t her fault and everything would eventually be ok.”
Mia reflects, with a maturity beyond her 17 years, on her road to Triple Care Farm.
“The neglect and trauma at home led to my life falling apart and I ended up living rough.
I felt worthless. I felt that everything I did made this world worse and it would be better if I wasn’t here. I was truly at rock bottom when I heard about the farm.”
After the interview I knew I had been given the chance to fix my life. I arrived at the farm and it was awesome – it felt safe and everyone was nice, the students, the staff, everyone.”
At Triple Care Farm, Mia visited the onsite GP regularly which led to the diagnosis of a number of underlying issues, neglected since childhood. Through counselling, she learnt more about her mental health and substance misuse.
“The farm was a light at the end of the tunnel because it changed my outlook on life. For the first time since I was that little girl I had a flicker of hope.”
Thank you for helping Mia to re-build her life.
*Name changed to protect privacy; stock image used.
