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Keep FGM campaigner Hawa safe in the UK
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Hawa's permission to stay in the UK is about to run out. She needs our help to pay for her application to settle here long term.
Who is Hawa?
Let me tell you about my brilliant friend and neighbour Hawa. She is kind hearted, friendly, and generous. She is constantly on the go, supporting everyone in the community. Every day I see her with a tray of (delicious!) food in her arms headed to help someone recently bereaved, celebating a milestone, with a new baby, or having a rough time. Her work as an advocate for the Blossom Clinic is groundbreaking, supporting people who've experienced Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to access services including counselling and medical treatment. Hawa also set up a charity supporting new arrivals to the UK, particularly survivors of FGM and forced marriage. Last year she was even awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Oh, and she's started her own catering business.
What happened to her?
Looking at her day to day, you would never know how much she's been through. She was born and brought up in Guinea. Aged 8, her stepmother took her into the woods to be cut by a local woman. This is known as female genital mutilation (FGM) - a ritual of removing or injuring the genitals of a girl or woman for non-medical reasons. At 13 years old, she was forced to marry a man 37 years older than her. Years of sexual and physical abuse followed, until she managed to escape aged 17. With the help of an older female friend and an aid agency she fled to the UK for safety, fearful that her husband would murder her.
You can read more about her experiences in this article: https://www.positive.news/society/life-after-fgm/
Why does Hawa need help?
Hawa is happy and settled in Leeds, where she is a tremendous asset to the community. She's been living here for over 10 years. Her claim for asylum was succesful and she was granted leave to remain for a set amount of time. Now she needs to apply to convert that into indefinite leave to remain, aka "settled status". This costs money...
How will the money be spent?
- Application fee for settled status/indefinite leave to remain - £2404
- Exam fees for the compulsory "Life in the UK" test - £50
- Exam fees for the compulsory B1 English test - £150
- Legal fees
- Travel to exams and appointments
This project successfully funded on 15th October 2023