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Kaan was living in his elderly parents’ garage when, through a series of events, he received sole custody of his three youngest daughters, aged 18, 16 and five.
As someone who had previously lived alone, Kaan had never needed housing stability, but now that he was a single father: “I had to grow up overnight.”
Not wanting to continue in his current living situation, when he found out about YFS, he contacted them for help.
“They took me in the position that I was in, in danger of being homeless with three girls. I couldn’t leave my three girls in my parent’s garage. I immediately found a house when YFS came into the picture.”
But YFS’ Lagolago feavea'i team helped Kaan with more than just finding a rental. They continued supporting him as he adjusted to life as a sole parent and as he settled into a stable home.
“I felt like my life had a bit of value, they brought value to my life, where housing wasn’t a problem anymore, I had someone to talk to. It’s not just the rental side of things, they’re really good at communicating with their clients – working for their clients doing their best. YFS has been really helpful.”
It hasn’t always been a straightforward journey. After moving into his rental, Kaan fell into arrears, and as most of his pay was going into his debt, he found himself with only a few hundred dollars a week to spend on living essentials for his family.
With so little money for food and clothing, the pressure of trying to provide for his family began to take a toll on his mental wellbeing. But parenting had steeled him to face challenges and ask for help in a way he hadn’t previously been able to.
“Before when things got tough I used to crawl into my shell and wait for it to be over. Now when problems happen, I know I can find a solution. When problems happen, I know it’s got to be fixed. When something happens, I know it’s got to be dealt with. I learnt not to run away from problems and basically face them out.”
And, at every point, YFS was there to support him.
“YFS is like my second go-to person. Ellie’s been so good. She’s been in my life for a year and a half. Props to Ellie.”
Through a partnership with We Are Mobilise, Australia’s direct giving platform for homelessness, YFS connected Kaan with financial assistance through the Kickstarter program. The support helped reduce his rental debt and relieve some of the financial pressure he was carrying while caring for his three daughters.
“The Mobilise team have really helped me to be a bit more financially free. When I was down, the Mobilise team basically levelled me up and got me to the stage where I could pay my rent and keep a roof over my kids’ heads.”
“I was buckling under pressure with so many things like shopping and clothing. I couldn’t provide for a good four to five weeks to my kids. As soon as the Mobilise team lifted that pressure off me… what can I say, thank you.”
Kaan’s dream was to become a FIFO worker, however since his girls have come to live with him, his focus has shifted to supporting his daughters’ futures.
“Parenting taught me how to be selfless – it brought me another feeling of me. Before, I’m the type of person who never used to cry. Now, at any little thing, I start tearing up.”
“My girls brought value to my life and they’re making me a better person than what I was before.”
Most importantly, Kaan is giving his girls a home, something he hasn’t had before.
“Home means a lot of things to me. Home means my safe place. Home means my place where I can be myself.”
“I never had that before, that home kind of feeling. I met my parents when I was eight years of age. I didn’t grow up in a homely environment. This is why home means so much to me – where there’s stability, where there’s love, where there are people supporting one another.”
“Home is where my true self is. If I didn’t have a home, if I didn’t have my daughters, what would I do? Where would I be? Home is a very important place for me.”
