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Caught In A Nightmare
Please help us sponsor Farhad, a refugee who has been held in detention by Australia for the last six years. We need money to bring him to Canada. We will match your donation, dollar for dollar!
There are many men from the Middle East, South Asia or Africa who are being held in detention on Manus Island or elsewhere in Papua New Guinea. These men have been detained by the Australian government for years, even though they have been assessed as valid refugees. The conditions are horrific; the United Nations has determined that the situation is dangerous, and that the physical and mental health of the men there is deteriorating with ongoing violence and daily incidents of self-harm.
One of these refugees is Farhad (not his real name), an LGBTQ Christian from Tehran, aged in his 30s. When Farhad’s father found out about his sexuality, he burned Farhad with a metal rod. Farhad and his boyfriend were arrested and beaten more than 50 times by Iran’s religious police.
Farhad’s Story
Farhad fled to Malaysia in 2013, and was subsequently detained on Christmas Island and then Nauru. He is currently in semi-detention in Papua New Guinea. His parents have disowned him, but once a month he speaks on the phone to his sister, whom he describes as “his everything”.
We have gotten to know Farhad over social media: he is an amazing man who has incredible courage and hope, despite his awful circumstances. For the last six years, Farhad has had no freedom, no hope, and no future. He is in danger every day in Papua New Guinea, where male same-sex sexual activity is illegal and discrimination against LGBTQ people is endemic.
A New Start
We need to get Farhad to a country where he can be free and safe and can begin a new life. We want to bring him to Canada under the government’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees program.
The program for privately sponsoring LGBT refugees is run nationally by Rainbow Refugee , a Vancouver-based registered charity. Since being established by the federal government in 2011, this group has brought 95 refugees to Canada from countries that discriminate against gay and trans people.
Before we can submit an application, we need to confirm to the Canadian government that we have funds to support Farhad’s first 12 months of life in Canada (CAD$18,000 = AUD$19,000 = USD$13,500) and that we have a group of Canadian sponsors willing to help Farhad settle into his new life here.
Your donation will contribute to Farhad’s living expenses for the first year. These include:
· 12 months of income: $12,800, including:
· Shelter: $6,000
· Food: $175
· Startup costs: $325
· Furniture: $1500
· Clothing $500
NOTE: The amount orequired by the Canadian government for this program is CAD$16,500, but because most LGBTQ refugees settle in expensive cities like Toronto and Vancouver, Rainbow Refugee requires a total of CAD$18,000 to be kept in the bank to financially support each of its applicants.
Who Are We?
We are part of a group of committed volunteers who are ready and excited to help Farhad start a new life. All based in Toronto, our circle includes Cali Jalouk, Bruno Moynié, Ruth Bromstein, Rufus Dickinson, John Sakeris, David Barnes – and ourselves, Bryan Gaensler and Laura Beth Bugg.
We have our sponsorship group in place, and we now just need the necessary funds. As soon as this money is in the bank (in a secure bank account managed by Rainbow Refugee) we can submit the paperwork and start the formal process of getting Farhad out of detention and out of danger.
To give you an incentive and to make your money go further, we will match any donation you make, dollar for dollar. Even small donations can make a big difference. Please help raise the money Farhad will need for housing, clothing, food, furniture, etc in his first year in Canada.
We Need Your Help
If you can help, please click on the “Donate” button. As your donations come in, we will transfer these funds plus our one-to-one matches to Rainbow Refugee in Vancouver, which will hold the money in trust until we reach the target.
When Farhad arrives, the money will be disbursed under guidelines laid out by the Canadian government. Start-up funds are given on arrival in Canada and the living expenses are distributed to him on a monthly basis.
Every dollar brings us one step toward giving this talented and soft-hearted young man a new start in a country he is looking forward to call home. Every dollar counts. Please help us bring Farhad here today.
Thanks for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!
Laura Beth Bugg and Bryan Gaensler
Toronto, Canada
PS There are many other men like Farhad who desperately need help. The tax benefits from your donations and any money raised beyond our goal will be put toward the funds needed to sponsor one of the other men on Manus Island whom we have come to know and whom we want to help.
Please help us sponsor Farhad, a refugee who has been held in detention by Australia for the last six years. We need money to bring him to Canada. We will match your donation, dollar for dollar!
There are many men from the Middle East, South Asia or Africa who are being held in detention on Manus Island or elsewhere in Papua New Guinea. These men have been detained by the Australian government for years, even though they have been assessed as valid refugees. The conditions are horrific; the United Nations has determined that the situation is dangerous, and that the physical and mental health of the men there is deteriorating with ongoing violence and daily incidents of self-harm.
One of these refugees is Farhad (not his real name), an LGBTQ Christian from Tehran, aged in his 30s. When Farhad’s father found out about his sexuality, he burned Farhad with a metal rod. Farhad and his boyfriend were arrested and beaten more than 50 times by Iran’s religious police.
Farhad’s Story
Farhad fled to Malaysia in 2013, and was subsequently detained on Christmas Island and then Nauru. He is currently in semi-detention in Papua New Guinea. His parents have disowned him, but once a month he speaks on the phone to his sister, whom he describes as “his everything”.
We have gotten to know Farhad over social media: he is an amazing man who has incredible courage and hope, despite his awful circumstances. For the last six years, Farhad has had no freedom, no hope, and no future. He is in danger every day in Papua New Guinea, where male same-sex sexual activity is illegal and discrimination against LGBTQ people is endemic.
A New Start
We need to get Farhad to a country where he can be free and safe and can begin a new life. We want to bring him to Canada under the government’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees program.
The program for privately sponsoring LGBT refugees is run nationally by Rainbow Refugee , a Vancouver-based registered charity. Since being established by the federal government in 2011, this group has brought 95 refugees to Canada from countries that discriminate against gay and trans people.
Before we can submit an application, we need to confirm to the Canadian government that we have funds to support Farhad’s first 12 months of life in Canada (CAD$18,000 = AUD$19,000 = USD$13,500) and that we have a group of Canadian sponsors willing to help Farhad settle into his new life here.
Your donation will contribute to Farhad’s living expenses for the first year. These include:
· 12 months of income: $12,800, including:
· Shelter: $6,000
· Food: $175
· Startup costs: $325
· Furniture: $1500
· Clothing $500
NOTE: The amount orequired by the Canadian government for this program is CAD$16,500, but because most LGBTQ refugees settle in expensive cities like Toronto and Vancouver, Rainbow Refugee requires a total of CAD$18,000 to be kept in the bank to financially support each of its applicants.
Who Are We?
We are part of a group of committed volunteers who are ready and excited to help Farhad start a new life. All based in Toronto, our circle includes Cali Jalouk, Bruno Moynié, Ruth Bromstein, Rufus Dickinson, John Sakeris, David Barnes – and ourselves, Bryan Gaensler and Laura Beth Bugg.
We have our sponsorship group in place, and we now just need the necessary funds. As soon as this money is in the bank (in a secure bank account managed by Rainbow Refugee) we can submit the paperwork and start the formal process of getting Farhad out of detention and out of danger.
To give you an incentive and to make your money go further, we will match any donation you make, dollar for dollar. Even small donations can make a big difference. Please help raise the money Farhad will need for housing, clothing, food, furniture, etc in his first year in Canada.
We Need Your Help
If you can help, please click on the “Donate” button. As your donations come in, we will transfer these funds plus our one-to-one matches to Rainbow Refugee in Vancouver, which will hold the money in trust until we reach the target.
When Farhad arrives, the money will be disbursed under guidelines laid out by the Canadian government. Start-up funds are given on arrival in Canada and the living expenses are distributed to him on a monthly basis.
Every dollar brings us one step toward giving this talented and soft-hearted young man a new start in a country he is looking forward to call home. Every dollar counts. Please help us bring Farhad here today.
Thanks for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!
Laura Beth Bugg and Bryan Gaensler
Toronto, Canada
PS There are many other men like Farhad who desperately need help. The tax benefits from your donations and any money raised beyond our goal will be put toward the funds needed to sponsor one of the other men on Manus Island whom we have come to know and whom we want to help.