To celebrate his victory in the National Cat Awards, Marley the cat gives us exclusive insight into a week in his life at Caritas Bakhita House. Marley writes…
Each week is different for me, but what never changes is that every day is another step on the road to recovery for the women I live with. Sharing those journeys with them makes me so proud.
My day begins at 8am, when the house’s night staff change over with the day team. Each morning, I like to greet everyone in the office: I say goodbye to the night staff with a brush of fur, and hello to the day team with a gentle purr.
Once I know all is well, I go on patrol. My first stop is the back garden, where I begin by checking that my daisy patch is untouched; foxes are regular visitors here, and leave behind all sorts of food and other souvenirs! After that, I glance into the pond, but the little toads hopping about never want to play with me.
Next, I return to the front of the house, which is where I meet visitors and say goodbye to the guests as they leave for college, volunteering, the gym, work or solicitors’ meetings.
After stopping by the office, I resume my house patrol to see which of our guests has come down for breakfast. I love the smell of food cooking as breakfast is prepared; it always makes my tummy rumble.
I may visit a guest’s room if I’ve known her a long time and she enjoys my company. At the moment, the guest in room 1 is very happy to share her time with me. While she sits at her desk and does her English homework, I occupy the windowsill, the best place for catching the sun.
On Mondays our guests do yoga, and I find it amusing to see them stretch the same way I do! Then there’s the Sisters coming in to give English lessons. I sometimes listen in for a while, and when I hear the women chatting in so many languages, it amazes me that they can add another language to their list. I look on as they take books from the shelf, and I especially like it when they read aloud.
On Tuesdays we have art class; the volunteer who leads it has done some very colourful paintings which hang on our walls and he shows the women so many different techniques. They use colours that remind them of their countries, drawing or painting their favourite places in the world. They use wood, pottery and paint. They even went to an exhibition recently, but I chose to stay in and guard the house.
Wednesdays are a highlight of my week, because that’s when the drama therapist comes. The sessions are by invitation only, but sometimes the guests let me join. Drama therapy allows them to express themselves through movement and speech, and channel their emotions in a way that is both creative and freeing.
On Thursdays our guests go out on a trip, and these can range from museums and exhibitions to park walks and the changing of the guard. There is always a buzz of excitement as they leave the house; this week they’ll be going to the zoo. I look forward to seeing pictures when they return at the end of the day, when the dinner table comes to life with animated discussions of the day’s events.
Friday mornings are my favourite because we all share breakfast together. I never knew you could have so many different types of breakfast; it’s truly an international affair!
Then I sit back and listen to the women doing music therapy… though sometimes drums are very loud. One of the guests even wrote a song for me; she used to play the piano and sing to me, and I found that so special.
The best part of each day is our evening meal at 7pm. The guests and staff take turns to do the cooking, which is great because it means I get to smell food from all over the world! It’s definitely the best restaurant in town. Food brings us all together, and dinner is when we share what has happened during the day.
Dinner is also when we welcome new guests into our community; often it is moments like this that help new arrivals see that life can get better with time, that the road to recovery is possible for everyone, and most importantly, that there are people (and a cat!) who care for and love them.
As for weekends, that’s when me and my guests like to chill out: we sleep in a little later and we like to watch TV. We had a new guest arrive last Saturday; she looked very sad so I have been staying close by her, because it’s important that each woman knows I am pleased that she’s with us and am here to help. I am honoured that I and Caritas Bakhita House have received recognition for the incredible work that takes place here, every single day.
Caritas Bakhita House is a safe house for survivors of modern slavery, exploitation and human trafficking. Since opening in 2015, the centre has provided accommodation to 195 women and 16 babies from almost 50 different countries. Alongside tailored therapeutic and trauma-informed care, the centre also assists women with bringing perpetrators to justice, and has helped to secure a total of 218 years of prison sentences.
Find out more on the centre’s recent Impact Report.
