RELATED COVERAGE: Valley’s vulnerable need more than just shelter
For two and-a-half years Nikita Bryant didn’t identify as homeless.
From the age of 17 until recently, she moved from home to home of her extended family in East Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley, making her one of Gippsland’s ‘hidden homeless’.
“I just mainly said I was living with family,” Nikita said.
“I didn’t want to put myself into the homeless category.”
At 16, the death of her grandfather had a profound effect on Nikita.
“He was like a dad to me and I just went downhill and was on all different sorts of drugs.
“Then I picked myself up and started working and getting help.”
Nikita’s parents moved away from the area, forcing her to board with extended family while she completed her traineeship with the Department of Planning and Community Development.
Work brought Nikita to Traralgon, where she lived with family and in hotels. But at the conclusion of the traineeship Nikita was sent into another downward spiral, when she could not secure ongoing work.
“I just turned myself into an alcoholic,” she said.
A combination of the death of her grandmother last year and falling pregnant with her son Trey, was the inspiration for Nikita to turn her life around. “I just woke up one day and looked at myself and said ‘this can’t happen anymore’.
“Both my nan and pop had died of cancer and I hated to see my family going through hell… when I started realising ‘I’m putting my family through hell’.
“Then I thought ‘I need to start doing something with my life’.”
Nikita stopped drinking and with the help of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, secured a public housing unit in Morwell.
“I realised I don’t want my son seeing his mum and dad drinking a lot and I don’t allow any alcohol in my house,” she said.
“I want my son to have a good life and not the life that I’ve had.”
VACCA Kurnai youth homelessness support worker Rehana Naidu, who also helped Nikita through domestic violence, expressed her immense pride in the now 22 year-old.
“Nikita’s gone from being very disadvantaged to being able to step up to the plate and being able to make tough decisions,” Ms Naidu said.
Nikita is now using her experience to mentor Latrobe Valley children through the Koorie Heritage Trust.
“I’ve got some funding to help with the young kids down here, in school and (those) that are sometimes on the streets. Hopefully this is going to be a good outcome.”
