Our Clients’ Stories and a Major Donation Alert!
First, I’m happy to report that we are helping more people than ever, with our refugee and domestic violence clients now crossing the 30 mark! With more people helped, that means our need is greater, so I am happy to say we received a US$12,000 major donation from Shelly Fields, which enables us to grow our reach and provide more housing to people in need.
Two quick stories from our clients.
Fatema* came from Iraq as part of an arranged marriage, the physical assaults started as soon as she reached Australia, the police were called, and she was referred to a crisis shelter. Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter helped with English education, a visa classification change, and finding a job, and helped Fatema find independent affordable housing. She calls it her “palace of freedom” and your funding is assisting her rent while she builds a new chapter.
Aaisha* is a recently arrived refugee from Afghanistan. Following Taliban occupation in August 2021, Aaisha was not safe. She was a nurse running a medical clinic, but since she came from a region the Taliban oppose, she’s a working woman, and she is a pregnant single woman, she faced persecution including the threat of being stoned to death. With the help of agencies, Refugee Services Texas, and Rafi—himself an Afghan refugee (pictured)—Aaisha has been placed in discounted housing, and your donation will support a new, safer life for her. She has found employment at Goodwill, and is adjusting to her new home while preparing for the birth of her child.
Twenty of our other clients escaped from Afghanistan with Aaisha on the day you probably saw on your TV, and managed to board packed cargo planes with their families to safer areas when Kabul airport was mobbed. Your kind donations will help reduce a big worry—housing, so that our clients like these get a leg up in building a brighter future.
*not her real name
