VIDEO: Cork woman has 'hope for the first time' thanks to support from domestic violence charity

“I’ll be forever grateful to the help that Mná Feasa has given me on my healing journey. They have helped me through the worst days of my life.”

These are the words of one of three courageous women who feature in video testimonials, launched to coincide with the rebrand of the Cork charity, which supports women affected by domestic violence.

This month, Mná Feasa launched their rebrand and also revealed an 8% hike in interventions this year already. The Gurranabraher-based charity, which provides essential services like court accompaniment, has seen 165 new women seeking support in 2024 alone.

The rebrand comes as they want to reflect its expanding role and strengthened commitment to supporting women in crisis.

They have also released three videos (which you can view on EchoLive.ie), in which women share their personal stories, how the charity supported them.

Here we share some quotes from those personal stories...

Lee – I finally have hope

“I’d hate to imagine where I would be if I never heard of Mná Feasa.

“Mná Feasa is still helping me through the hardest time of my life. And not once have I or any other woman been judged.

The women celebrate my high moments with me and show me overwhelming support when I am going through my low moments.

“I have invested in myself with Mná Feasa’s help, worked on my self- esteem, educated myself further, and I finally have hope for the first time in a long time.”

Nicky – I matter

“My life was turned upside down as a survivor of abuse. The mental, emotional and financial abuse was very hard, as no-one outside my relationship could see it. You don’t need to be bruised to be abused.

“For me Mná Feasa is a non-judgmental, safe place with empathic women, many supports and courses to take up, and many new friendships made on the way too.

“I have learned I have a voice, I am here and I matter.”

Mandy - a safe space

“As a woman, you will never be judged by them and all they want to do is help.

“This is my safe place, for me just to be me, and to be safe with everything I have to say.

I am so grateful to Mná Feasa who has given me the time to show my true feelings and talk about everything.

Support services

Team Leader with Mná Feasa, Barbara O’Driscoll said: “Almost 80% of women who suffer abuse in the home never report it, according to Safe Ireland. Fear of negative legal outcomes, financial insecurity, and concerns for their children’s welfare often keep women from leaving unsafe situations. Without the support to navigate it, too many are forced to drop out of the court process, leaving them even more vulnerable.

Through our new visual rebrand and expanded outreach, we hope to give more women the confidence to know that help is here, and they’re not alone.

“But we can’t do this without community support. While some businesses have been invaluable partners, the growing demand for our services calls for even more involvement from the business sector. We urgently need more businesses to step up and join us in this mission to ensure every woman in need can find safety and support.”

Along with a new logo, the charity’s updated website — mnafeasa.com — offers a user-friendly experience with streamlined navigation and an expanded resource library, making it simpler than ever for women and families to find the support they need. The rebrand was designed by Global Creative, Johnson Controls’ in-house creative team. Over the past year, 10 team members from Global Creative volunteered their expertise to develop the new brand for Mná Feasa.

The new design centres around the fada in ‘Mná’, shaped into an arc. This symbolises a protective shield, creating a safe and private space.

Founded in 1991, Mná Feasa — meaning ‘Wise Women’ in Irish — has supported thousands of women through a comprehensive range of services, including a helpline, one-on-one counselling, support groups, and court accompaniment.

In 2022, the charity saw 1,373 interventions, rising to 1,450 last year, and now, this year, they’ve already reached 1,570 interventions.

Recently, the charity expanded its programming by adding a weekly support group and, in collaboration with pro bono family law solicitors, launched its first free legal advice clinic.

Over the past three years, Mná Feasa has dedicated approximately 300 hours to personal development and educational programmes, providing life-changing support for women as they work to rebuild their lives.

Mná Feasa is a Community Action Project of the Cork Anti Poverty Resource Network (CAPRN).

For more on Mná Feasa see mnafeasa.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram.