HOPE AND DREAMS
STORIES OF NEW BEGINNINGS
In a moving interview with an Israeli newspaper, Elin, Chen, Ms. Pepper, and Aviv spoke openly about their past and shared their hopes and dreams for the future with the journalist, captured in photographs. These four people have overcome unimaginable challenges and demonstrated the courage to start anew. Read the stories behind the pictures:
ABOUT ELIN'S STORY
ABOUT CHEN'S STORY
ABOUT MS. PEPPERS' STORY
ABOUT AVIV'S STORY
ELIN
COFFEE AND A
HOUSE FULL OF LOVE
"That's when I knew I would die if I continued like that."
Image: Daniela London Dekel
“I was born in Siberia and had a difficult childhood marked by abuse and violence. My mother once told me, ‘Girl, you’re not even smart and pretty enough to be a whore.’ When I was ten, I tried to take my own life by drinking a liter of bleach, but I survived. After my mother died, I turned to prostitution and became addicted to drugs to cope with the work. I was taking up to five grams of crystal meth a day. At 27, I looked in the mirror at the gym and saw nothing but skin and bones. That’s when I knew I would die if I continued like this. So I went to the social services office and said, ‘I’m a prostitute, help me get healthy.’ That’s how I found my way to the Hope Center Israel and received the support I needed.”
Today, Elin can dream of a hopeful future again. She told the journalist,
what a happy future could look like for her:
"I imagine a big house with many children and a husband."
And maybe I can even run a café downstairs in the house.
In Israel gibt es 15 000 Frauen und Männer, die in der Prostitution gefangen sind.
Ohne Unterstützung ist der Ausstieg aus dem Milieu unmöglich. Im Hope Center Israel werden die Betroffenen in einem zweijährigen Programm von unseren Sozialarbeiterinnen auf dem Weg in ein selbstbestimmtes Leben begleitet. Mit deiner Unterstützung können wir noch mehr Betroffenen in ein selbstbestimmtes Leben helfen.
Share Elin's story
CHEN
CREATIVITY AMIDST CATS
"It took me a long time to be ready to leave prostitution, but I made it."
Image: Daniela London Dekel
«Ich wuchs in einer traditionellen Familie auf und wurde mit 11 Jahren während eines Urlaubs von einem Fremden vergewaltigt. Das hat mich verändert, und als Jugendlicher geriet ich an die falschen Leute. Zu Hause war ich ständig Gewalt ausgesetzt, vor allem psychischer Gewalt. Ich habe mehrmals versucht, meinem Leben ein Ende zu setzen, was schliesslich dazu führte, dass ich mit 18 Jahren aus der Armee ausgeschlossen wurde. Um zu überleben, musste ich mich prostituieren, da ich weder die finanziellen Mittel noch die Unterstützung meiner Familie hatte. Drogen und Alkohol kamen hinzu, um den Schmerz zu betäuben. Mit 19 Jahren erlebte ich einen schweren sexuellen Übergriff, der für mich zum Wendepunkt wurde. Es hat lange gedauert, bis ich bereit war, aus der Prostitution auszusteigen, aber ich habe es geschafft. Heute, nach Abschluss eines Ausbildungskurses im Hope Center, habe ich eine Arbeit im Bereich der psychischen Gesundheit gefunden, um Menschen mit einer ähnlichen Geschichte auf ihrem Weg in ein freies Leben zu unterstützen. Ausserdem habe ich eine gesunde Beziehung und wieder Kontakt zu meiner Mutter.»
Für Chen bedeutet Glück etwas Einfaches, aber Kostbares:
«Ich stelle mir vor, auf einem grossen, runden Bett zu liegen, ein Skizzenbuch in der Hand und überall Katzen um mich herum.»
To help survivors like Chen reintegrate into the regular job market, they need support. Help us, through Hope Center Israel, to give even more victims a chance at a life of freedom.
Share Chen's story
MS.
PEPPER
NEW BEGINNING IN PINK
"The stories of other women"
They gave me the strength to change my life.
Image: Daniela London Dekel
“I grew up in a large family, and when I was nine years old, I was raped by my older brother. My family kept it a secret out of shame. Shortly afterward, I was married off at a young age and had my first child within a year. My husband and his family were violent toward me and my children, and when I had eight children, I fled to a women’s shelter where a lawyer helped me with the divorce. Out of financial necessity, I then started working as a prostitute and selling drugs. I later found support at a women’s aid center. The stories
The other women encouraged me to change my life. I started selling food in a café and became known for it, while I further refined my cooking skills at an institute.
The name Ms. Pepper, which she chose herself for the interview, already gives a hint of this.
what their dream for the future looks like:
"I see myself in a renowned restaurant, where I give cooking classes. I stand in front of a class in chef's clothes, but not in white, rather in pink. I am confident and pass on my knowledge to the students."
Those affected who want to leave society need a future. Often they lack qualifications and don't know what they want to do. Our social workers help them discover their strengths and find out what kind of work might suit them. Help us give people like Ms. Pepper a future!
Share Ms. Pepper's story
AVIV
A FUTURE-ORIENTED ENCOUNTER
“I found the Hope Center
The support I needed.
Image: Daniela London Dekel
“I grew up with a younger brother, but our mother suffered from severe mental health issues and was often in clinics. We had no one who really cared for us. During my military service, I saw an ad in the newspaper promising quick money through prostitution. At first, my friends and I laughed about it, but one of them actually started working there and took me with her. That's how I ended up in prostitution too, to make ends meet. After my military service, I wanted to go to university, but I couldn't afford it, so I continued working in prostitution. I ended up living in an apartment with six other women; each of us had between 12 and 22 clients per shift. But at some point, I wanted to break free and change my life. At the Hope Center, I found the support I needed. An encounter with a puppy rekindled my love for animals, and I decided to study therapeutic dog training. Today, I lead therapeutic workshops for children and have found my calling.”
An experience in Aviv sparked a wish for her future:
"During a performance by the children I work with, I saw a teacher come in with a baby in a stroller. At that moment I thought: 'Wow, that could be me next year.' That awakened in me the desire to perhaps experience such moments myself one day with a baby in a stroller."
Adi Oz, managing director of the Hope Center Israel, puts it aptly: "Without a helping hand, without financial investment, exiting from [the situation] is impossible."
Escape from the cycle of prostitution is impossible for those affected. A helping hand is anything that stands between exploitation and freedom.
With your support, we can help survivors like Aviv.
Share Aviv's story
Source: The illustrations and interviews were created by Daniela London Dekel and published in the Israeli newspaper "Yediot Ahronoth" in April of this year.