For many women, seeking help is the hardest step. For some, that first step becomes the beginning of a journey not only toward safety, but toward leadership, healing, and community.
Yvette Mercado is one of those women.
A Filipina single mother who has lived in the UK for nearly 17 years, Yvette is deeply committed to supporting other women, particularly migrant mothers who have experienced domestic violence. Today, she is an active volunteer and organiser within the ESEA community, but her relationship with SEEAWA began at a very different point in her life.
Finding Support When It Was Most Needed
Yvette first connected with SEEAWA as a beneficiary, at a time when she was navigating the realities of domestic violence, single motherhood, and the complex challenges faced by migrant women in the UK.
Through SEEAWA, Yvette received practical and emotional support, including financial assistance during difficult periods, and befriending support that helped reduce isolation. Just as importantly, she found a space where her experiences were believed, understood, and accepted, without judgment.
SEEAWA’s workshops, wellbeing activities, and community gatherings offered Yvette opportunities for healing, learning, and connection. As a survivor of violence and a mother caring for a child with additional needs, being welcomed fully, not despite these experiences, but with them, made a profound difference.
“SEEAWA didn’t just support me in crisis — it helped me feel human again.”
From Beneficiary to Trustee
As Yvette rebuilt her confidence and sense of self, she began to give back in small ways, attending events, supporting other women, and sharing her insights. Over time, her lived experience, compassion, and leadership became invaluable to the organisation.
She later became a trustee of SEEAWA, helping guide the charity’s direction and ensuring that the voices of women with lived experience remained central to its work. Her journey reflected what SEEAWA believes deeply: that women are not defined by what they survive, but by what they become when supported.
Continuing the Cycle of Care
Today, Yvette continues to volunteer with SEEAWA, helping organise events, support fundraising activities, and strengthen community connections for East and Southeast Asian women.
Beyond SEEAWA, she is an active volunteer with organisations, leads and supports activities through the Mumshie group, and contributes to projects and documentaries advocating for migrant rights and welfare.
Her work is grounded in empathy, solidarity, and a belief that no woman should face violence, isolation, or injustice alone.
Why Stories Like Yvette’s Matter
Yvette’s journey from beneficiary to trustee to volunteer shows what becomes possible when women are met with care, dignity, and long-term support.
This is the impact of SEEAWA’s work:
- Providing immediate support in times of crisis
- Creating safe spaces for healing and belonging
- Supporting women to move from survival to leadership
As we enter a new year, Yvette’s story reminds us that support changes lives and those lives go on to change others.
If you would like to support SEEAWA’s work and help more women begin their own journeys toward safety and solidarity, please consider donating or getting involved.