HELP LGBTIQ REFUGEES IN EAST AFRICA SURVIVE

Hi, my name is James Goebel and I'm from the US. I’m organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend Phil and the LGBTIQ refugees he represents in East Africa. Their situation is critical, and they urgently need your help to survive.

PHIL’S STORY

My name is Calvin Phil. I am a queer refugee from Uganda, and I’m fighting every day just to stay alive. Being LGBTIQ in Uganda means living in constant fear—fear of being hunted, beaten, and killed. I narrowly escaped death after surviving a brutal attack, simply because of who I am.

In 2019, I fled to Kenya, hoping for safety, but life in Kakuma Refugee Camp wasn’t any better. For nearly five years, I lived in constant danger—facing beatings, threats, and relentless persecution. The violence never stopped.

Earlier this year, I made the difficult decision to leave Kakuma and seek refuge in Gorom Camp in South Sudan. Now, I’m here alongside my team of fellow LGBTIQ refugees, all of us fleeing the same horrors. But life in South Sudan is even more terrifying. The country is torn apart by civil war, and the laws against LGBTIQ people are fueling even more violence against us. We've lost friends to this cruelty—lesbians and transgender refugees are being raped, and the rest of us live in constant fear of what tomorrow will bring.

THE REALITY WE FACE

We are not just struggling—we are starving. When we manage to eat today, we don’t know if we will survive tomorrow. Hunger gnaws at us constantly. Every day feels like our lives are slipping away.

We are without clean water, without proper shelter, and many of us, including those living with HIV, are without the medicine we desperately need to stay alive. Every day is a fight for survival. Without help, our future is uncertain.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: YOUR DONATION SAVES LIVES.

We are reaching out to you because we cannot do this alone. Your donation, no matter how small, can make the difference between life and death for us. The money will be used to provide:

1: FOOD.

2: CLEAN WATER.

3: SHELTER to protect us from violence and the harsh environment.

4: MEDICATION for those living with HIV/AIDS, who are suffering without care.

EVERY DOLLAR BRINGS HOPE.

Your support doesn’t just offer us food or water—it brings us hope. Hope that tomorrow we won’t starve. Hope that we can have shelter and safety. Hope that we can live to see a future where our identities are not a death sentence.

WHERE YOUR DONATION GOES.

Since GoFundMe doesn’t operate in South Sudan, all funds raised will be sent directly to Phil and his community via Sendwave. Your generosity will immediately go toward giving us the basics we need to survive another day.

HELP US HOLD ON.

We know asking for money can be uncomfortable, but we are begging for our lives. Whatever you can give, no matter how small, can save a life. Please help us survive. Share this campaign, donate, and continue supporting queer refugees who have nowhere else to turn.

Thank you so much for standing with us.