ENGLAND. October 3, 2024.
Jennifer holding a feather.

Jennifer was brought to the United Kingdom from Ghana by her aunt, whom she deeply trusted from childhood. After caring for her and funding her education in boarding school in Ghana, her aunt promised to help Jennifer study nursing in England. What seemed like a path to education became a nightmare of exploitation and abuse.

For four years, she endured domestic servitude and sexual abuse at the hands of her aunt's husband. They seized her passport upon arrival, using her undocumented status to instil fear. Instead of studying, she was forced to cook, clean, care for children, and cater church events – all without payment. When she revealed the abuse at their church, they refused to believe her because her aunt was an influential church member.

Her first escape came when her aunt finally threw her out. Desperate and homeless, Jennifer fell into another exploitative situation when a man promised her childcare work. After fleeing again, she survived by cleaning at a gym and a shop in exchange for a safe place to sleep. A turning point came when a social worker noticed her burn injury and referred to the hospital, where she was then connected to an NGO.