Jameila* was referred to Luminary by an anti-trafficking charity. She was trafficked at 9 years old so had not finished education in her home country. She was trafficked around Europe for a number of years before managing to escape when she arrived in London.
She was experiencing high levels of suicidal thoughts when she first started at Luminary and told us she spent a lot of time feeling hopeless. She had never baked before but was so grateful for the chance to learn quickly and excelled.
Upon graduation she began to volunteer in our professional baking kitchen, to continue growing her skills and also to give back. This gave her the confidence to begin making cakes from home and we supported her to set up her own business.
She is now on the way to making full time income from this business, loves the part-time job we connected her with and her family have seen a significant improvement in her mental health. Her children have written to Luminary to thank us for 'looking after their mum'.
*Name changed to protect identity
"We knew straight away that we wanted to support Luminary, because their work fits very closely with our key values. They provide a safe and welcoming environment, and an approach that succeeds in nurturing each individual while also building community. They pour so much support, knowledge and heart into each of the women that they work with, with the aim of empowering each individual to continue to succeed well beyond the end of the programme. Both the individual and community impacts are clear to see at the graduation celebrations, as women leave the course with pride, confidence, hope and strong bonds of friendship. " - Kerry @ Imagine Foundation
