My name is Malika and I’m raising funds for a young Pakistani woman who is a mother to two children : a 3-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son, who has endured profound hardship, abuse, and injustice.

For years, she suffered mental and physical abuse at the hands of her husband. One night, after prolonged violence, he forced her out of the house with only her young daughter, leaving her with no money and nowhere to go. In the middle of the night, she walked miles in the dark to reach her brother’s home, carrying her child and her fear.

Her husband cruelly kept her young son from her and refused to return him. Despite his ongoing mental instability and abusive behaviour, she was denied access to her own child. Desperate to protect her son and have him back in her care she took the brave step of filing a court case - a decision that is heavily looked down upon for women in Pakistan.

Instead of support, she faced ridicule and humiliation. She was mocked by both men and women simply for seeking justice. Her husband’s relatives submitted false statements under oath, and despite her courage, the legal system failed her. She was unable to regain custody of her son and now has only minimal contact with him.

Today, she lives with her brother and his family, who are themselves financially struggling. Her brother has been recently hospitalised due to serious heart conditions, leaving the family with mounting medical bills they cannot afford. She has no independent income and no financial safety net.

This fundraiser exists to help her meet basic needs : food, shelter, medical expenses, and legal support and to give her some dignity and stability after years of suffering.

I am sharing this because I recognise my own privilege. I am a daughter and granddaughter of immigrants born into safety and opportunity because my grandfather migrated from Pakistan in the 1960s. In another life, I could easily have been this woman - navigating injustice, patriarchy, and violence with far fewer choices and protections.

No woman should have to endure what she has endured simply for being born in a place that often turns a blind eye to the suffering of innocent women. My heart breaks for the many women living through similar injustices - women whose voices are silenced and whose suffering goes unseen. While we cannot change every story it’s important to help those within our reach.

Any contribution, no matter how small can make a huge difference to this mother and her children. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser. Your support can help restore hope, safety, and dignity to a mother who has already lost so much.