Bunk Bed for Maya’s Children

Maya, 41, is motivated and resolute in her desire to start life in Israel anew. She moved here from Morocco when she was 19, but when she returned after two years to visit her parents, she met her husband and married him. He came back to Israel with her and they had three children here. But then he tricked her into returning to Morocco. There, he took away her passport and those of the children.

They stayed there for nine years, suffering his verbal and physical abuse, as he used all of her earnings to buy drugs. Maya finally succeeded in divorcing him and bringing the children back to Israel last March. Before then Maya had never turned to social services for help, managing as best she could with what she had. But now, because of her husband, she has nothing.

Maya is determined to stand on her own feet and to teach her children to do the same, but she has only just started to work and to earn money again. In the meantime, she is struggling to furnish their apartment. One of her children sleeps on a mattress on the floor, while the other two share a sofa. As they readjust to Israel and begin to grow up here, they need a more respectful way to get a decent night’s sleep.