“Homeward Bound Gave Me the Strength to Recognize Myself”

It was supposed to have been a dream life: a new husband, a new country, a new baby. Instead, Nayab stood alone on a Toronto street in the middle of the night, with nowhere for her and her son to turn.

“That dream became my worst nightmare.”

Five years later, confident and hopeful, Nayab barely recognizes that terrified girl. It’s a transformation she credits to the supporters who give women like her a chance to rebuild their lives.

“Homeward Bound gave me the strength to recognize myself,” says Nayab, noting that she, like many program participants, has endured deep trauma. “But that gives me the strength to be who I am now.”

A Dream Derailed

After a strict, sheltered upbringing in Pakistan, Nayab’s parents arranged her marriage to a man in Canada when she was 18. He was 40.

After the wedding, he returned to Canada alone. Nayab completed a master's degree in biotechnology over the next three years, seeing her husband only twice. On his second visit, she became pregnant.

Her husband returned to Toronto, leaving her to face a conservative community where being pregnant without a present husband brought severe stigma. He was nowhere to be found when she gave birth to their son, Ibrahim.

Alone in a New Country

A year later, her in-laws brought Nayab and her baby to Canada. Arriving with minimal English, she discovered her in-laws had kicked her husband out of their home. They treated her like a maid, isolated her without a working phone, and took her passport.

“It was like being a prisoner,” Nayab says. “My only dream was that maybe God would give me an apartment so I can leave and live peacefully with my son.”

Eventually, her in-laws dropped her and the baby at her husband’s sparse rooming house in Brampton. When he turned them away, Nayab—weighing just 90 pounds and carrying her 15-month-old son—made her way to a shelter.

Traumatized and desperate, she returned to Pakistan after her parents sold a prized gold chain to afford the airfare. Weeks later, a shelter settlement counsellor reached out to explain that as permanent residents, she and Ibrahim had rights and protection in Canada. Determined to build a better future for her son, Nayab chose to return.

Finding Homeward Bound

A shelter worker introduced Nayab to Homeward Bound, WoodGreen Community Services’ comprehensive four-year program designed to help homeless and inadequately housed single mothers break the cycle of poverty.

For single mothers, breaking the cycle of poverty often feels impossible. Getting ahead requires a stable, well-paying job—which requires higher education. But going to school is out of reach without affordable childcare, leaving women trapped in an insurmountable catch-22. Homeward Bound removes those barriers entirely by offering a comprehensive, wrapped-around model:

A Second Chance

After upgrading her English, Nayab was accepted into the program in the fall of 2022.

When WoodGreen staff member Paul showed 23-year-old Nayab and two-year-old Ibrahim to their new home, the weight of the moment washed over her.

“I was so happy. I broke down on the floor and cried,” recalls Nayab. “All I wanted in my life was to have a peaceful home for my son.”

As she tucked him into bed that night in his very own room, she felt safe and grateful for the second chance she’d been given. She wasn’t about to waste it.

Reclaiming the Dream

Nayab threw herself into the program. Through Phase One, she tackled academic upgrading, computer skills, and financial literacy. She also gave back to the community by teaching Microsoft Office skills to incoming Phase One mothers.

In Phase Two, she enrolled in the Business Human Relations program at George Brown College—with full tuition covered by donors. Knowing Ibrahim was thriving in WoodGreen’s quality Child Care centre gave her the peace of mind to focus completely on her studies.

“My only motivation to finish college and be independent was my son. I look at him and think, ‘you’re not going to live the life I’ve lived. You’re going to have the best life I can provide you.’”

Determined to excel, Nayab completed the six-semester program in just five semesters with near-perfect grades, all while balancing single motherhood and navigating a custody battle.

Moving through Phase Three’s job-search workshops, Nayab reached Phase Four: a 14-week paid internship at Choice Properties. At 27, it was her very first job.

“When I brought home my first paycheque, I was so happy,” laughs Nayab. “But I didn’t even spend a dollar. I just saved it.”

Early in 2026, Nayab reached another milestone she once thought impossible: she officially earned her Canadian citizenship.

A Future Built to Last

Today, Nayab and six-year-old Ibrahim live in a home of their own, where she recently surprised him by decorating his new room.

Her George Brown degree proved highly transferable, and with a networking recommendation from a fellow Homeward Bound graduate, Nayab landed a full-time role as an Administrative Assistant at Fengate. Over its 21-year history, Homeward Bound has helped more than 320 women and 500 children transition out of poverty into long-term stability.

Nayab knows her hard work made this transformation possible, but she never forgets the community—the staff, her fellow mothers, and the generous donors she calls “angels”— who stood behind her.

“You are giving a light to a family who’s been in the dark for so long; happiness to people who’ve never felt like they deserve it,” she says. “You make them feel that they’re really worth believing in.”

How You Can Help

Every single mother deserves the chance to build a safe, stable future for her family. When you support Homeward Bound, you provide housing, education, and child care that break the cycle of poverty for generations to come.

Donate to WoodGreen Today and help transform a mother’s life.