Listening to Children, Building Safety Together

Together, we began by creating a safety plan with Rahma — one that helped her prepare for his release, understand her rights, and feel supported by a system that too often left her feeling alone.

But safety planning doesn’t end with adults.
To truly protect children, we must listen to them directly — to understand their fears, their memories, and their hopes for what comes next.

Hearing each child’s voice

We met with each of Rahma’s five children — individually and as a group.
It was the first time they felt safe enough to share the violence they had experienced themselves.

Each child carried their own story:

• The eldest daughter worried her dad would call her again, asking her to pass on messages or spy on her mother — something he had done before.
• The youngest son feared his dad would take him from school and that he would never see his family again. He remembered the toys and chocolate his father once gave him, but after talking it through, realised those gifts were not love — and that he didn’t want to see his dad without them.
• The middle children were clear: they didn’t want to see their father at all. They described constant yelling and hitting, and one said they’d only go if “mum would get in trouble” for refusing. Another worried that their older sister might let him back into the house — a concern that helped us build a stronger family safety plan together.

Creating safety as a family

We helped the family talk about what each person could do if their father tried to make contact, in ways that were appropriate to their ages and experiences.
Each child learned how to respond, who to call, and how to keep themselves safe — while understanding that they were not responsible for managing the situation alone.

We met with the children’s schools to ensure teachers and principals were aware of the plan and could provide support if needed.
Each child was also given Jannawi’s contact information and encouraged to reach out if they ever felt unsafe or worried.

Through this process, Rahma and her children moved from fear to preparedness, from silence to being heard, and from isolation to feeling supported.

Why this matters!

This family’s story shows why listening to children — and acting on what they tell us — is so essential.
By hearing their voices, we uncover risks that might otherwise go unseen and empower them to participate in their own safety.

At Jannawi, this is the heart of what we do: Walking alongside families, centring children, and building safety that lasts.