Support trans woman in refugee camp in South Sudan
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Samalie is 28-year-old trans woman who has spent her life fighting for the right to exist. She grew up in Uganda, where LGBTQ+ rights are considered amongst the worst on the globe. In Uganda, being LGBTQ is a crime that carries a life-sentence. At a young age, Samalie lost her parents--a loss that would define many young lives, but unlike others, Samalie’s life continued to remain undeservedly difficult. Her aunt took over guardianship; and she was intolerant to the LGBTQ+ community. After being verbally abused and disowned, Samalie escaped to living with a friend. This still proved unsafe when a mob of anti-LGTBQ individuals attacked Samalie and her friends. Her leg was broken, and her head was injured in the attack.
She sought refuge by applying for asylum at the Kenyan UN offices. However, after settling in a refugee camp in Kenya at the age of 24, local authorities told her and her trans friends to leave under the justification that being LGBTQ+ ‘set a bad example to the community’. She now finds herself at a refugee encampment in South Sudan, Gorom Refugee Settlement, where she has been actively seeking asylum in Canada, the UK and the United States since 2023. Her and others in the community lack basic necessities and live in unhygienic conditions. The conditions for LGBTQ+ residents are particularly difficult, given they are marginalized and discriminated against within the community. Shelters are not insulated well, leaving people exposed to the elements. The shelters are overcrowded, with no beds, mattresses, blankets or nets. She has minimal access to food, sanitary supplies and no containers to store water. While there is access to a doctor at the encampment, there is no possibility of receiving gender affirming care.
Please donate, in solidarity, to help Samalie afford necessities while she seeks a more comfortable country to live in. Funds will go towards food and clean water, sanitary supplies and basic hygiene items, safe temporary shelter and blankets, access to medical care. Please help us reach our goal. In Samalie's words,
- "Every dollar you donate will make a tangible difference in our lives. It will mean a meal, a safe space, a moment of relief from the constant fear. It will mean hope."
Out of compassion and in solidarity please make a donation today. Thank you
Samalie in her own words: “My name is Samalie, and I'm a trans woman living in Gorom Refugee Camp, South Sudan. Here, where the sun beats down relentlessly and the dust swirls with every gust of wind, survival is a daily battle. But for me and my fellow queer siblings, it's a battle fought on two fronts: the struggle for basic necessities, and the fight for our very right to exist.
We fled our homes, our families, our countries, seeking refuge from persecution and violence. We came here hoping for safety, for a chance to rebuild our lives. But in Gorom, we find ourselves trapped in a precarious limbo, facing discrimination even within the refugee community.
Imagine living in a place where your identity is a constant target. Where simply being yourself can mean being ostracized, threatened, or even attacked. We lack safe spaces, access to basic healthcare, and even the means to buy food and sanitary supplies. We are often excluded from aid distributions, left to fend for ourselves in a system that doesn't see us.
My heart aches for my friends, for my sisters and brothers who are struggling just to survive. We share meager rations, offer each other comfort in the face of despair, and dream of a future where we can live with dignity and respect.
We are asking for your help to provide: Food and clean water, Sanitary supplies and basic hygiene items, safe temporary shelter and blankets, access to basic medical care.
Every dollar you donate will make a tangible difference in our lives. It will mean a meal, a safe space, a moment of relief from the constant fear. It will mean hope.
We are not asking for pity. We are asking for solidarity. We are asking for the chance to live, to thrive, to be recognized as human beings worthy of compassion and support.
Please, help us paint a rainbow in the dust. Help us build a future where we can live without fear, where our identities are celebrated, and where we can finally find peace.
From the bottom of my heart, and from all my queer siblings in Gorom, thank you. Your kindness will forever be a beacon of light in our darkest days.”
- Who is fundraising: My name is Maggs X (they/them or he/him). I'm an American evolutionary biologist living in Australia, I’ve had the privilege of a relatively safe life regarding trans rights. At different points in time, many of us need someone to uplift our voice. It’s important to me to share Samalie’s story for personal reasons. Samalie and I met through the online community, TransArmy. We Facetime and I've met her LGBTQ+ friends at the settlement. She also shared government documents with her applications for asylum. Ive seen additional evidence in support of her story that I’m not comfortable sharing publicly. If the #MeToo movement taught us anything, it is the importance of believing one another. As marginalized people face increasing discrimination in the United States, we all want to know that someone will choose to help should a situation become impossible in our lives. I learned in my life that it is rare for people to know how to help; and I'd like to change that. In this situation, making a GoFundMe or donating is the simplest effort we can make to ensure the safety of another human being, who is just like you. There are very few resources to fundraise for LGBTQ+ refugees in South Sudan, as I’ve learned. Your donation would mean a lot to me personally.
- How will the funds be distributed: A friend, Senjay, who was in the Kenyan refugee camp with Samalie now has asylum in Canada. He will receive the funds through Paypal, and then will transfer them in the Sudanese pound to Samalie.
Organizer
Maggs X
Organizer
Eastwood, NSW