Karen spent last Christmas on the streets after escaping domestic violence. Since then, she has enrolled in a TAFE course, found a safe refuge and made lifelong friends.
The Newcastle mother says the lives of herself and her daughter were transformed by the six-week Pathways to Empowerment program run by Zahra Foundation Australia and Jenny's Place.
"If I hadn't have been in the course, our lives wouldn't have changed," Karen said. "Our lives were doomed."
Now entering a second intake, the program has a three-year $730,000 partnership with Greater Bank's charity arm, Greater Charitable Foundation.
The course upskills small groups of women in financial independence, education and decision-making to bring them to safety. It comes at a time when one in six women experience partner abuse (Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey).
Program facilitator Natalie Cowper said one of the most important outcomes of the course's first round was the "beautiful" friendships forged.
"The women keep in contact, they go out for coffee together," Ms Cowper said. "They loved the space and they have continued that on their own."
For some, these are the first meaningful friendships they have had after years of isolation. Karen has become a "second mum" to a younger woman who fled violence interstate and has repaired the relationship with her own daughter because of the program.
Karen said the connections she now has empowered her to make hard decisions, including surrendering beloved pet dogs so she could gain a place in a women's refuge.
"The group was small and it felt really nice and safe," she said. "If the help is so close and all around you, it's so easy to go with it.
"When I gave my dogs up, I actually could see [a plan ahead of me]. The program helped me put those steps in order."
Karen is a natural carer. She has raised children, looked after stroke survivors and cared for younger women like herself who are fleeing domestic violence.
Through Pathways to Empowerment, she has enrolled in an independent living TAFE course which will allow her to care for people professionally. She is excited to be paid for what she loves.
"I wouldn't have had the tools and I wouldn't have kept going [without this]," Karen said. "It's really started my life on a new direction."
Ms Cowper said the program aims to promote long-term planning and financial stability through an adult learning structure.
"[It's about] looking at how they can become stable and independent financially," she said. "This lessens the risk of women needing to go back to men who are violent or reentering a new relationship that is violent."
Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14 or 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.
