A REFUGEE, AND PREGNANT: HOW TLF HELPED ONE FOSTER YOUTH TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE

I came to the US as a refugee when I was 12 years old. Needless to say, life in America is very different from the Congo.

Not only was this a culture shock to me, but my first placement in the States was in Las Vegas…Bright. Loud. Different…The only thing I knew to do was survive.

I began learning English and went to a continuation school in Vegas.

By the time I was 15, I moved to California. This was when the fighting with my mom became physical. I was placed into a foster home by the time I was 16, and quickly after, I found out that I was pregnant.

Disagreement began with my foster family and I moved in with a friend. It felt safer.

I turned 17 and became a mother.

This is when my social worker told me about Teen Leadership Foundation.

I moved into the Launch Pad and started the program there. I cannot express the gratitude I feel in my heart for this opportunity. For the first time in a long time I feel like trust is a possibility. Not only that, but I have hope for the future of my daughter. I started a beauty school program, and have the support and guidance to graduate, something I never thought was a possibility. A few years ago, it simply wasn’t.

Thank you for the support and opportunity to develop the skills I need to open my daughter’s future and my own.

There are many stories like this, both heartbreaking and full of hope, happening at Teen Leadership Foundation. Your support and efforts through both time and financial contribution have created opportunities for stories like these to have a hopeful ending. For more information on giving, and learning how you can invest in a youth’s future, click here.