Somaly

Somaly came to Sanctuary House because she had nowhere else to go: alone in New Zealand at 20 years of age she found herself forced to live on the streets after a living arrangement with an acquaintance ended abruptly.

‘I was sleeping on the couch,’ says Somaly. ‘But my friend and I had some arguments and I didn’t feel safe there. I knew I couldn’t live there anymore, even though I had nowhere else to go.’

Somaly came to New Zealand when she was just 17 to live and to work while gaining a degree in hotel management. She fell in love with the country and took English classes at local community centres to prepare for her study. During this time she was directed by an agency to attend a Salvation Army life skills programme for youth called Equipt to help her find a job, manage her budget and prepare for studying in New Zealand.

It was during this six-week course that her accommodation with her friend fell through, leaving her on the streets, looking for alternative accommodation on a tight budget: ‘At the end of the day I just couldn’t live there anymore, so I talked to the director at The Salvation Army who said I could come live here.’
Somaly became one of the first young women to move into Sanctuary House, an accommodation and emergency support home for young women aged 15-23. There she and others received help in CV writing, finding a job and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a positive environment.

‘It was so comfortable to live here at Sanctuary House,’ says Somaly. ‘It meant I could concentrate on getting a job and getting enrolled in school and not have to worry about where I was going to sleep.’

Somaly now works full time and is enrolled to start hotel reception and hotel management courses at the end of February. She found her own flat after two months of living at Sanctuary House and couldn’t be more thankful for the help she has received.

‘Some people aren’t going to look at you twice when you are poor or hurting,’ says Somaly, ‘but here at The Salvation Army they never mind; they will be your good friend.

‘If I couldn’t have come here, I don’t know where I would have gone,’ she continues. ‘I would have been really scared if I would have had to be by myself with no one next to me. It is so nice to have this place here to help people just like me who are struggling.’

Many young women throughout New Zealand encounter homelessness through various circumstances. Sanctuary House can cater for up to four girls at a time with two places reserved for girls referred from Child, Youth and Family and the remaining two open to community or local court referrals.