Hi, my name is Vianney and I’ve been at Hestia for almost four years now – I started as an advocate in the Modern Slavery Response Team in March 2020 just two weeks before the lockdown began. Before this role, I worked as an interpreter often helping advocates with their clients. On one occasion an advocate I was working with told me about Hestia – I had always wanted to work with people and to make a difference in any way that I could, so I was curious. They encouraged me to apply and here I am, four years later, helping to support survivors of modern slavery. I have also recently been promoted to Team Manager.
I love my job, interacting with people and knowing that I’m making an impact is extremely important to me. I support my clients both mentally and practically; I signpost them to the right services, I listen to them in our face-to-face meetings, and I advocate for them so that their needs can be met. Ultimately, I want to empower them so that they can move towards independence.
Another amazing example of this is the annual Art is Freedom exhibition which features artwork and photography created by survivors of modern slavery. The exhibition really demonstrates their inner determination and resolve to overcome adversity and it’s great to see this expressed in their artwork and displayed around iconic locations throughout London – this year it was shown on the Piccadilly Lights!
Whilst this job can be extremely rewarding it also has its challenges, particularly finding the right support and being able to access it quickly for our clients who have already gone through so much. Despite this, I think everyone on the team really applies themselves and supports each other which definitely helps. Hestia’s values of dedication and collaboration are key qualities in the Modern Slavery Response Team.
At Hestia I can help people find a life beyond crisis and it feels like supporting our service users is a core goal shared by everyone in the organisation.
