Young women all over the world suffer from abuse, neglect and disadvantage. The Iranian girls we help are no different — they have typically been put into care from an early age, run away from abusive homes, or live in extreme poverty. They often suffer from severe mental health and emotional difficulties, mostly stemming from their experiences of neglect, of physical and sexual abuse, and of exposure to drugs and violence.

We help girls like Bita who ran away from home at 13 and was arrested and put into prison with murderers and drug dealers. The police beat her up and seemed oblivious to the fact that she was just a child. When she came to the Omid-e-Mehr center she was scared and felt helpless. However, since coming to the center she has learnt how to read and write and acquired skills which will help her find a job later on.

Before coming to the Omid-e-Mehr center, Bita used to slash her body to make herself feel calm but since having therapy and counselling she has managed to control her anger and overcome her past. She says she no longer feels tense and agitated all the time and believes that the Omid Foundations have changed her destiny. Without the help of the Omid-e-Mehr center, Bita would never have been able to overcome her terrible past.