52 Lives

#484 Efie

Request: Donations / Gifts / Kind messages

This week, we’d love to help a woman called Efie and her two young children. Efie has chronic health issues and works as a dinner lady.

She had problems with her visa, which meant she had a period of time where she wasn’t allowed to work and wasn’t eligible for benefits. She lost her old job, her relationship broke down and she ended up homeless. They’ve been staying on friends' floors and moving around a lot.

It is all sorted out now, so Efie and her children – a 9-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy – have managed to get a 2 bedroom flat. But it’s empty, it’s a long way from her children’s school, and it’s far away from the friends who used to help her when her pain got too bad.

Efie has a slipped disc, sciatica, arthritis, and gynaecological issues that leave her in a lot of pain. They travel for over an hour to get to school each day, and at home they’re all sharing a double mattress on the floor.

"Every mum wants to give her children the world, trying to parent in these circumstances have been very difficult. I wish the kids could just be kids and didn't have to worry about basic needs. The impact of homelessness and financial difficulties has been devastating for the kids and I."

She has been trying really hard to make a better life for them – she trained as a phlebotomist hoping to start a new career in healthcare but hasn’t been able to find work yet, so she’s working as a dinner lady to bring in some extra money.

We’d love to do something kind for them.

*Name has been changed.

What We Need

1. Donations: We'll use your donations to help provide some of the things they need. 100% of your donations will be used to help Efie and her children. You can donate online or by text using the details below.

2. Gifts from a wishlist: We've set up a wishlist with gifts and gift cards for them. To buy something from the list, just add it to your basket and choose the 'gift registry address' when you check out.

3. Kind Messages: To send a kind message for Efie, just write a message in the form below (your contact details won't be passed on), or you can post a message to: 52 Lives, Life # 484, PO Box 3154, Reading, RG1 9AT.

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(if you are sending a message of support for the person we’re helping, there is no need to fill in your email address or telephone number)

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