Back to base: Investing in those at the bottom

Tina is beautiful and hopeful, but she tells me she checked herself into hospital at the age of nine to escape her stepfather's sexual abuse. She says she had no idea this desperate cry for help would lead to many years in foster care and eventually to living on the streets. Her teens were full of worries about where she would live, often fearful of becoming homeless again. Short stays with relatives frequently led to fights, so she'd move on. Later, when Tina was in a relationship, there were fights with her boyfriend, which at times led to physical violence. They were now working this out, she tells me assuredly.