Eva was nine years old when she came to Welcare traumatised by memories of her mother being abused.
Our 12 week MySpace course allowed her to share her experiences with other children.
I first went to Welcare when I was nine years old. Our home life was bad – because my mum had been abused. My mum’s counsellor really helped her and we moved to a new area so we could both start a new life.
I thought I was OK because no-one had hurt me. I tried to be strong and forget seeing my mum hurt. But it was so difficult and at school I was often in floods of tears. Sometimes I felt so scared. I think the teachers were worried about me. They arranged for me to take part in the MySpace course at Welcare.
My mum thought that I couldn’t remember all the terrible things that she’d been through. But at MySpace I started to talk about what I could remember. There were 6 of us in the group, with someone from Welcare, who helped us talk about what we were feeling and what we’d seen. I was so afraid that the person would turn up at any moment and take me away. I remember that this had happened before and it had frightened my mum.
I knew that I was safe in our new home and no-one was going to hurt me. But before I went to MySpace, I couldn’t help thinking about was I’d seen. I was confused and didn’t know how to deal with my emotions.
At the MySpace group I was listened to. It felt easy to talk. Once I started talking about it, it felt good to explain how I felt to other people. Talking helped me to understand how I was feeling, and hearing the other kids say they’d been through the same thing made me feel more included. We did things like group exercises, drawing and writing, and the lady who led the group said it was okay to talk about how we felt.
After going to the MySpace group, being at school was easier. I didn’t feel so alone, and I’m beginning to make some new friends. The other kids at MySpace have been through similar things and listening to them has helped me to think about ways to cope with my memories and emotions.
Our MySpace course helped Eva feel happier and more confident. Eva no longer needs to be taken out of classes in tears, is more settled in school, and is looking forward to the future.
Find out more about our MySpace programme.
