Maureen

“There are challenges that I face as a lesbian refugee. Where I used to live, they found out that I was a lesbian, and they began abusing me. We shared a common bathroom and toilet and the other people living in the building would lock it and not allow me to use it. It was very difficult. I have since moved away from that place. Where I stay now is peaceful,” Maureen shared with us.

In Maureen’s home country, same-sex relationships are outlawed. In 2016, the community where Maureen lived found out about her sexual orientation and a group of people attacked and threatened her. Maureen, who had also been ostracized from her family, fled to Nairobi, Kenya, seeking safety.

In June 2018, Maureen’s case was referred to RefugePoint from UNHCR, and we provided her with food and rent assistance as well as a business grant of $200, which she used to start a business selling fabric and second-hand shoes.

“When I first arrived in Kenya life was very difficult. I didn’t know the place. I had no money and I didn’t understand the local language or the culture. Before I received assistance from RefugePoint, I was living in a makeshift shelter and I was sleeping on the floor. Now I live in an apartment building, and I sleep on a bed with a mattress. Now I can pay my rent, buy food, and do my hair.”