The Safe House: An Enclave of Peace and Hope

Dear Friends,

This quarter we are coming to you with a big announcement! Ten years ago, Heshima Kenya was founded as the first and only organization dedicated to protecting, nurturing, and empowering refugee girls and their children. Now more than ever, our mission to help the most vulnerable refugee women in East Africa is critical.

We invite you to join us in celebration of our new name, one that truly reflects who we serve, our mission, and the future of the incredible young women we serve: RefuSHE.

After an extensive period of research with our beneficiaries, boards, partners, and staff, we are proud to share our new name that reflects the future of our work: RefuSHE. RefuSHE embodies our commitment to refugee girls, and the accompanying logo highlights our gendered lens, global impact, and holistic approach to empowerment.

Our mission, vision, and approach will remain the same and our new name, RefuSHE, represents that unwavering commitment. 

You’ll be hearing more from us in the coming reports about RefuSHE and how you can join the movement to empower refugee girls. Thank you for partnering with us in this movement toward holistic care for refugee girls. Keep reading below for this quarters update from our Safe House!

In solidarity,

RefuSHE

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Alice is a 17-year old girl from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In December 2016, war broke out in her village of Mineable.  Alice was in a boarding school at the time and she could only go back home during the holidays.  One day, a group of unknown militia men broke into the school and kidnapped most of the girls while killing others.  She tried to hide somewhere but the gang of men found her, beat her up, and sexually abused her.  She was left at the school completely helpless.  After several hours, she ran home but discovered that her mother was gone. Her dad had died a long time ago and she was left with her mother and siblings.  Both her mother and siblings were gone when she returned home that day.  She was shocked and terrified and ran to her cousin’s house nearby.  She cried out her mother’s name as she ran looking for her.  She eventually found her cousin but the gun shots were still nearby and her cousin advised her to escape and that they should separate for fear of being captured together.  Alice followed her cousin’s advice and walked through the nearby forest where she eventually joined a group who was also trying to escape the conflict. Once they found a road, they separated and asked for truck rides to Uganda. On her way to Uganda, Alice went into labour and thanks to a woman who helped her through delivery, she was able to deliver the baby safely and he was healthy.  She stayed in Uganda for a while until she was able to recover.  Alice went to a nearby church to ask for help and they were able to provide her with shelter, food, and clothes.  Alice couldn’t stay there long-term, so she eventually made her way to Nairobi by truck again.  In Kenya, she slept on the street for 2 days with her new-born.  Luckily, a good Samaritan came by and asked her if she needed help.  She took her to a Congolese woman in Kitengela who offered her shelter.  She was able to stay with her for a few months before starting to become seriously ill due to the woman demanding that she complete all of the house work every day until she became sick.  Eventually, she went to UNHCR to ask for assistance and UNHCR then referred her to RefuSHE.  Alice stayed at the Safe House and for the first few weeks she cried every time she was asked a question by the staff.  She was only able to speak Congolese and it was difficult to understand her.  RefuSHE was able to find an interpreter that was able to translate her story and allow staff to support her and provide her with the attention and care that she needed.  Alice received medical care and attended individual counselling sessions.  She was able to start to trust again and build up her confidence and hope.

Today, Alice has learned to speak a little bit of English and Kiswahili with the help of the Girls’  Empowerment Project (GEP) teachers. She is also enrolled in vocational training at the GEP.  She participates in peer support activities in the Safe House and is getting along with the other residents.  Alice says that, “I finally feel like I have found a family at RefuSHE. I am working very hard to be a good designer and get a well-paid job for me to take care of my child and help my fellow friends in similar situations as me.”