A helpful hand offered in time completely changed the trajectory of Sorina’s* life.
At only 18 years old, Sorina seems to weigh every word she says carefully. This practice, which is usually acquired late in life, in her case is due to the difficult times the lived in childhood. Sorina prefers not to talk about the mother she doesn’t know at all, because she left her when she was 3 years old, or the father she knows absolutely nothing about. She doesn’t even like to remember how she got to the shelter after losing her great-grandmother. Her only connection to her past and family remains her younger brother, from whom she is still very attached, even though they were separated.
She has been in the residential center in the United Way`s income program for half a year and is finally doing well. “Honestly, if I hadn’t come to the program, I would most likely be living in Gara de Nord” – confesses the young woman. “During the vocational counseling meetings, I met people who really take care of young people in the protection system. They help me look for a job, do personal development activities, and if we don’t have a job, they support us with food packages and hygiene products. Since I’ve been here I’ve been able to work, I’ve cleaned my space, but I also went to school. I ended the year with an average of 8.70” – says Sorina with pride and her eyes light up, chasing away the clouds that always shadowed her eyes.
After the end of the school year, Sorina was able to get a job through the socio-professional integration program. She is an assistant cook at a restaurant in Bucharest. The new reality in which she has been living for a short time began to produce its positive effects on Sorina more and more visibly. Now she dares to make plans for the future, but also to enjoy the present as any young woman of her age should. Her hobbies are dancing and creating content on social media, where she can share with the world the things she likes and that make her happy. It’s a new beginning for Sorina, one full of hope, dreams and support to make them come true.
*To protect her identity, we have changed the beneficiary’s name and we used a generical photo
