1,800 miles, years of abuse and now…

Two girls. On the face of it, with so much in common. Leah on the left has grown up in North London. She loves her after school dance classes and reading with her siblings. Leah on the right is the same age. She goes to the Tikva school in Odessa, Ukraine. She also dances after school and loves stories.

However, if you would have seen Leah from Ukraine 18 months ago, the differences wouldn’t have been so hard to spot.

Leah was born into dire circumstances. Her father’s whereabouts are unknown. At as young as two years old her alcoholic mother would send her to the streets to beg for money and to find clients for her work as a prostitute.

When Tikva rescued Leah she was malnourished, her hair was matted, her skin sore and infected. She had very limited speech and was frightened when any adult approached her.

After help from Tikva’s medical and psychological team, Leah has made amazing progress. She has formed friendships and has started to accept love and care from trusted adults.

 

Your support enables us to continue to search for and rescue children like Leah, ensuring their futures are a world apart from their start in life. Thank you for your generosity this Rosh Hashanah.