“I am not the only one who experiences this kind of problem; some are worse than mine,” Mya says. “After many conversations with Htet, I became more confident and I am less nervous.”
Htet says since ChildFund and Future Light began raising awareness on child protection issues such as domestic violence in Mya’s community, many cases like Mya’s have been brought to light.
“The most common cases in my assigned township are related to domestic violence,” Htet says. “We share that getting help is confidential and this has helped families to trust us and open up to us.”
Families are now confident about reporting any suspected cases of abuse and violence in their community.
Htet says there is still a long way to go for Mya and her family, but there have been noticeable improvements in their wellbeing since the counselling sessions.
Mya is encouraging other children and teenagers like herself who have witnessed or experienced violence in their family to share their feelings and seek professional help. “It will benefit you more than you think,” she says.
Family violence support services:
1800 Respect national helpline 1800 737 732
Women’s Crisis Line 1800 811 811
Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491
Lifeline (24 hour crisis line) 131 114
Relationships Australia 1300 364 277
