My childhood was not a childhood at all, but a precocious struggle for survival. Born into a family marked by poverty, my memories of those early years are of sacrifice and a constant lack of the bare necessities. My grandparents’ house soon became our refuge, a place where, despite our hardships, we tried to find a little stability, soon shattered by my father’s arrest for a horrific crime that scarred my family forever.

From that moment on, our life was a succession of closed doors and hostile hands. The nuns’ convent, which was supposed to be a place of protection, turned into yet another source of pain and abuse. Being placed with a new foster family soon turned out to be a nightmare of beatings and fear, forcing us to flee once more, a desperate return to the only semblance of a home we knew: my grandparents.

Adolescence brought with it a new, heart-wrenching loss: the death of my grandfather. At just 14 years old, I found myself facing not only grief, but also the burden of debts weighing down on our fragile existence. Without hesitation, I started working, gritting my teeth and trying to build a future on such unstable foundations.

For a while, it seemed that my tenacity and sacrifice were about to pay off. But the pandemic swept everything away. My grandmother’s illness forced me to leave my job to look after her, and since then, recovery has been a mirage. Today, my job is precarious, my earnings meagre, and I live in my grandmother’s former home, a roof over our heads that her children now threaten to take away from us.

But my struggle is not just for myself. I am sheltering my sister and her two children, who have fled from an abusive partner. My greatest fear is that, without a safe home, social services might take them away from us. Those innocent children, already scarred by suffering, deserve a peaceful future, a place they can truly call home.

Today, I am reaching out to you with my heart in my hands. Every donation you make, no matter how small, can make the difference between despair and hope. Your help can provide us with a roof over our heads, a safe haven for these children, and the chance to rebuild our lives. Please, open your hearts and lend a helping hand. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity.