30-year-old Tonia's life is not easy. But the constant twists and turns have made her a strong woman, who overcame the moments when she wanted to end her life and now, with 5 wonderful children, she can say: "Thank God!".
Tonia arrived in Lesvos from Syria in 2018, a widow, with her 4 children. There she was sexually abused because her rapist told her that if she refused, he would rape her 9-year-old daughter. The harrowing incident left her pregnant. However, within a few months, complications began and she was transferred to Athens, where she soon miscarried. At that stage our Centre "embraced" her and her children, providing practical and medical assistance.
Unfortunately, in June 2020 a new incident shook her life again. Her government subsidy for her house had expired, so she started looking for a new one. In her quest, she went to a house, which was shown by an Arabic-speaking man, and was sexually assaulted. Tonia was raped a second time and became pregnant again. "I want to end my life" was the thought that plagued her mind.
When she recovered from the shock, she began to believe that abortion was the only solution and at that stage together with her we discussed all the options she had. Tonia started to think about adoption, but as time went on, she wasn't sure if she wanted to give the baby up. So, our team stood by her side, listening to her concerns and thoughts with compassion and understanding. We also encouraged her to believe that even through difficulty, something good could happen. Eventually, even as her difficulties increased, her attitude changed, and she began to be full of gratitude and thanksgiving!
A new beginning
As she had not yet found a home, she decided to turn to the United Nations, which organized the relocation of her and her children to Germany within a few days. There she gave birth to a healthy baby girl and sent the following message: "I am very happy and my decision to keep the child I believe was God's will." Although this change was sudden and we were sad that we didn't even have time to say goodbye to her, it is our wish and prayer that a better future awaits her.
