“I lived with no hope, until education changed my life and allowed me to decide my own future.”
Orphaned at a young age, Lucy (pseudonyms) has been living with her elder brother and his wife in a Lao village. Three years ago, Lucy’s brother became ill-tempered under the effect of drugs and often physically abused Lucy for no reason. At a tender age of 14, Lucy had no means of self-defense against her family members who have lost control of themselves, so all she could do was live in fear and nightmare.
In the beginning of 2016, AEA’s Street Children Centre in Laos received an assistance request from the Head of the village. Social workers promptly made a home visit to assess Lucy’s situation, and we recommend Lucy to move to our centre’s dormitory. Lucy was overwhelmed by the Social Worker’s suggestion, saying: “I cannot believe that I can escape this place which is filled with nightmares.”
At the age of 15, Lucy started her first-ever studies in the centre and played with children of her own age. She also equipped herself with skills to make a living through vocational trainings.
