Escape & Safety Fund

This is very hard to write, but I need to be honest.

For six years, I was in a relationship where i didn't feel safe, and was isolated from my support network. During that time, I was cut off from friends and whānau and moved to the South Island of New Zealand, far away from the people who could help keep me safe.

Although that relationship has ended, I am still living in a situation where I am frightened for my safety.

I am not sleeping properly, I am constantly on edge, and I am genuinely scared of what could happen. I have reached out for help, but I’ve been told that nothing can be done unless the situation escalates further, something I am desperately trying to avoid.

I do not want to wait until I am seriously hurt.

Being a trans woman has made accessing support more complicated, slower, and in some cases dismissive, but this situation is about survival and safety, not identity politics. I am afraid in my own home, and I need to leave.