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The secret that tormented Zena
Zena* had no choice, and nowhere to run. She would either obey the smuggler or suffer the consequences.
"You are going to follow me now, otherwise I will take away your daughters."
Trembling, she followed the man behind some bushes on the beach. There she was raped, enduring the abuse silently. For over a year she told no one of the tragic event, her soul haunted by intense shame. It wasn’t until she found a trusted confidant at the Good Samaritan Center in Athens that she finally told her story.
After opening her heart, a huge weight lifted and she immediately felt relieved. "Inside the Center I felt safe and realized that I could trust the people I was talking to,” said Zena. “The conversation and the prayers made me feel much better. Thank you, because you really helped me ”.
As a refugee from Iran, Zena had already faced many difficulties. Separated from her husband and tasked with raising three children, she lost her 23-year-old son to a severe accident. When the son’s wife remarried, their 9-month-old baby was given to Zena to raise. Today the little girl is 4 years old and has no communication with her mother.
Zena also has a 21-year-old daughter who lost her hearing due to a childhood illness. By way of sign language, her daughter opens her heart to the Good Samaritan staff and talks about the things that have tormented her thoughts.
After each visit, mother and daughter return home relieved. A new hope has been born in their hearts.
* The name has been changed to protect innocent parties
