All-Together Housing in partnership with Capital Rainbow Refuge (Ottawa) and Quinte Rainbow Refuge is proud to launch a new refugee sponsorship.

His name is Sajad (not his real name), a young gay man from Afghanistan. His story, like so many LGBTQ stories in the Middle East, is heartbreaking and yet one of incredible courage, tenacity and above all, Hope! His father threatened to have him killed, the Taliban beat and raped him and even in the country of asylum he fled to, he has been attacked, harassed and exploited for sexual favours. For Sajad and other LGBTQ refugees it would appear the world has turned its back on them, but we have not.

Ever wonder what your support means to an individual whose very right to exist is threatened daily?? These are Sajad's own words:

'Today I walked back to the place where I once hid from the world: a place with no kindness, no food, no peace...just silence, hunger and fear. I stood in that broken spot where I used to sleep under the open sky, afraid of the night, afraid of being seen. And in that moment I remembered what it felt like to be invisible.'

But now I am not invisible. Because of you, I have a roof above me and Hope inside me. Because of you, I feel Human again. I feel seen. I feel safe.

You didn't just offer help, you offered Dignity. You didn't just give shelter, you gave me a reason to believe in life again...'

Your donation is eligible for a tax receipt (Canadian donors) and if you would like more information about Sajad's story, please don't hesitate to contact us.