Six years ago, while on a humanitarian mission in Bangladesh, I met Khushi, an incredibly brave young woman working as a translator at our field hospital while pursuing her dream of becoming a human rights lawyer. One year later, she was expelled from university after being exposed as Rohingya, facing persecution for attending school "illegally". Thus began a four-year struggle to help Khushi escape Bangladesh and continue her studies in Canada.

In December 2023, Khushi, along with her mother, three younger sisters, and brother, arrived in Canada after being sponsored by the Canadian government as government-assisted refugees, receiving financial support for one year. Since arriving, Khushi and her family have settled in Waterloo, Ontario. She is currently studying pre-law at Wilfrid Laurier University, while her siblings attend school and college.

As of December 2024, they will no longer receive government financial assistance and will face the harsh realities of the cost of living in a Canadian university town. Please join the many people from around the world who recognize the incredible potential of this amazing young woman and contribute to help her continue to pursue her dream while supporting her family.

If you are interested in learning more about Khushi, check out the following links:

Al Jazeera article

A Dream Called Khushi (an Oscar award-winning documentary film)