A couple weeks ago, I wrote to let you know of a terrible loss of funds we suffered and asked for you to consider investing in Tahirih by making a gift of ($42 per month for a year OR their largest gift over $1k). Many of you responded with kind and generous donations. I want to thank those of you who have given and ask those of you who have not to consider supporting us now . If we do not raise enough money to make up for the lost grant (which was $500,000 over two years), we risk having to reduce our services in our Virginia office, which will affect 100 clients.
It is so hard to communicate the impact of a client’s case by email because each story is complex, often spans years, and has gruesome, unimaginable details that are difficult to share or even believe. But these are real women and girls who have come to us for protection, and, as their advocates, that means we have the task of sharing the painful and most private details of their lives with you. I want to share the story of one courageous woman we met less than a year ago.
At the age of 22, Trouri was forced into marriage as the third wife of a much older man. Several days after her marriage, Trouri vividly remembers being taken into the bush where her head was shaved, a loincloth was draped on her, and she was held down by three women while another cut her genitals. She remembers the pain of the event and its long-term effects too well.
Trouri’s husband was violent and often beat her mercilessly, causing two miscarriages. But Trouri was a strong woman and organized a woman’s group to encourage the police and the community to protect women. Trouri’s political leadership unleashed the fury of a radical religious group that burned her small business and threatened her life. To punish Trouri for bringing “shame” to the family by her activism, her husband forced pills down their oldest daughter’s throat, poisoning her, and causing her to be hospitalized. Turning his anger to Trouri, her husband then locked her in a room, turned off the water to the house, and set fire to their home.
Remarkably, Trouri survived and escaped to the United States to seek asylum. She came to our Houston office and required the full range of services and federal level advocacy that Tahirih uniquely provides. Trouri had third degree burns over her body and little money. And, critically, her children—two daughters who faced a threat of imminent genital mutilation—were still trapped with her powerful and abusive husband. Not only did we need to provide our full range of legal and social services, but we also needed to help remove her children from the country. Trouri was frantic and knew she had very little time to save them.
We moved quickly and mobilized everyone within our reach—our extensive network of in-house attorneys, pro bono attorneys, public policy advocates, pro bono physicians, social services networks, and volunteer translators—to provide the holistic legal and social services she required. Through advocacy efforts by both Tahirih’s Houston and Washington, DC area offices, we obtained a rare form of legal relief called “humanitarian parole” so that her children could join her and we won her asylum in an expedited process. (Less than 1% of humanitarian parole applications are granted.)
Unfortunately, Trouri’s children were still not safe. They needed to get away from their abusive father and to the US Consulate to pick up their visa. Without money of her own, Tahirih’s Houston office engaged the community in a successful fundraising effort to gather frequent flyer miles and funds so that Trouri could return to a neighboring country where a friend, who had risked her life, had escaped with Trouri’s children.
Just a few weeks ago, Trouri safely returned to the United States with her children. They continue to receive our assistance for temporary housing, obtain treatment for malaria, and access other social services. We are helping Trouri rebuild her life so that she and her children can be safe and thrive.
Trouri’s story is just one of the many client stories our social workers and attorneys work with every day. We invite you to join us on October 26 at 1pm (EST) for a conference call where you will hear an inside perspective surrounding the complexities of one client case and an update on our organizational efforts. (Email sarah@tahirih.org for call-in information) Until then, please join us in helping more women like Trouri. We can only do it with your support.
PS – You can hear my speech at this year’s Benefit explaining our financial situation, as well as other updates, at http://www.tahirih.org/donate/tahirih-is-being-tested/ .
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