I came to the UK from the Middle East on a family reunion visa to join my husband, who has Indefinite Leave to Remain. We have a daughter together — she’s 7 years old. I hoped we would have a better life here. But from the moment I arrived, everything changed.
My husband treated me very badly. He was abusive in many ways, while treating his two children from a previous relationship well. I felt scared, isolated, and confused. Eventually, he placed us in a hotel — me, my daughter, and his other children. Then one day, he stopped paying for the hotel and left us with nothing. We had nowhere to go.
Children’s Social Services got involved and placed me and my daughter in temporary accommodation. But it wasn’t enough. That’s when I was referred to KMEWO and everything started to change.
When I arrived, I didn’t speak much English. I had no friends or family in the UK. I was struggling with my mental health and had physical health problems too — including cataracts, which still need surgery. My daughter was suffering emotionally from everything she had witnessed. It was overwhelming.
From the first moment, I felt supported. KMEWO’s team helped me in so many ways:
- They spoke up for me with Social Services, who weren’t offering enough support.
- They gave me a new phone so I could contact people and access services.
- They helped me apply for Universal Credit and open a bank account.
- Once I was eligible for benefits, they referred me to housing services so I could apply for long-term accommodation.
- They also helped me find an immigration solicitor and supported me with letters for my legal case.
- Someone even came with me to appointments — I wasn’t alone anymore.
- They invited me to join awareness sessions, which helped me understand my rights.
- They gave me food vouchers, covered travel costs, and helped with daily needs.
- They supported my daughter with school enrolment and talked to the teachers about what she’d been through.
When Social Services stopped supporting us, they still helped — finding us new accommodation, helping with GP registration, updating my Universal Credit, and making sure my daughter stayed in school.
My situation is still not easy, but I feel much safer and more hopeful. I’m starting to understand the system here, and I’m not alone anymore. My daughter is doing better in school, and I finally feel like we’re being seen and heard.
I’m so grateful for the help I’ve received from KMEWO. Without it, I don’t know where we would be today.