For most of us a life without our husband, father or brother is difficult to envision. We take for granted how much they do for us and how much we rely on them for everyday support. But for many families, this sad reality has finally hit home. With no breadwinner in the house and no community support, many wives of detainees or those under house arrest are forced to rely on others. Thrown in the deep end and lacking key functional skills like the ability to speak English, drive or work, their day-to-day necessities become near impossible. As a result such women become entirely dependent upon the few charitable friends and family they have. In many cases they are alone and descend into isolation, neglecting necessary duties like paying the bills or taking the children to school.
At HHUGS we provide initial emergency support like food, taxi services and financial assistance. But our responsibility extends much further than this. Instead of bandaging the wound, we want to eliminate it and strive to do so by offering services that will empower individuals to become self-serving and independent families. We facilitate English lessons, educational and vocational courses and driving lessons enabling these women to gain the skills they need to live in a safe, comfortable and happy home. We are also in the process of developing courses on better money management to enhance our beneficiaries’ ability to manage their finances
We encourage stable and empowered families and individuals to join our network, with the view of helping others experiencing similar circumstances. Empowerment is the key that allows these families and individuals to free themselves from the dark place we often find them in.
“It was at this critical time that HHUGS helped re-integrate me into the wider community and also help me normalise my daily life. HHUGS helped me gain independence by paying for my driving lessons and supporting me so I could pass my driving test. I cannot thank HHUGS enough for the help and support they have given my wife and I – and my short account here only explains a fraction of the help we received from them – because the list of things they have done for us is endless!” [Ex-detainee]