Help Sakibu get Free!
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Hello friends!
I volunteer with an amazing group at Freedom for Immigrants on the ICE Detention hotline . The National Immigration Detention Hotline is the nation’s largest immigration detention hotline, connecting immigrants in detention to their family, resources, and abuse documentation support at no cost to them.
I met Sakibu through one of those phone calls. Sakibu is an undocumented immigrant who was released from the The Otay Mesa Detention Center in February, after a painful and traumatic journey that began in his home country (Ghana).
While he is currently grateful to be out, and on his way to applying for asylum, it will take time, and he cannot legally work. He is struggling to pay off his $25,000 bond. This GoFundme is to help Sakibu pay off a part or whole of his bond, and reduce his financial burden as he begins his journey in the US. We are currently also seeking support from organizations that do bond support in addition to this effort. Thank you for helping! Please read his story below and give if you are able.
Poonam
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(The story below is paraphrased from Sakibu’s account given to me on a phone call).
"My Name is Sakibu Dawuda and I am from Asamankese, Ghana. Back home, I was working as a Taxi driver (since 2006). One day, I helped transport a group of LGBTQ friends to their desired location, and in the process, we got caught by the authorities. Where i come from is very rural, and being LGBTQ, or helping/working with that community in any way is an abomination, and people can get killed or badly hurt. When we were captured by the authorities, they beat us all very badly. I heard that one of the passengers was even killed.
I was lucky to be released, but our community no longer welcomed me, I continued to receive threats and was told that I had committed an abomination and if I continued to stay there, my life could be at risk.
Feeling fearful, I left my village to go and live with my mother in a nearby village. However, as soon as the community in her village began to hear about what had happened in Asamankese, my mother and I began to receive similar threats until I was forced to leave yet again to find a safe home. I then moved to Accra, where the impact of this event followed me again. During a visit to the mosque, our Imam told my story. I once again began to receive threats from community members who did not want me anywhere near.
At this point I was very afraid. I had a friend who was able to have his boss help me leave Ghana and travel to Ecuador. While in Ecuador, I struggled very hard financially and in many other ways. I decided with a group of fellow immigrants to attempt to seek Asylum in the United States, where i heard I could have a safer and better life.
With a group of fellow immigrants, we began a very scary and terrible journey through the forests of Panama and Costa Rica. The 6 days that I traveled through those forest was a horrible nightmare. We were robbed completely and beaten badly. I saw women raped right in front of my eyes. I saw dead people. It was very difficult and sad. I was very afraid.
When we finally made it to Tijuana, we were captured by ICE Border Agents. That is how I ended up in Otay Mesa.
I am happy to be out of Detention and beginning my life here in the United States. Please support me in my journey by helping me pay off my bond, so I can finally be free. I have been wearing their GPS tracking Ankle Bracelet since February. Thank you very much, I am grateful for your help."
I volunteer with an amazing group at Freedom for Immigrants on the ICE Detention hotline . The National Immigration Detention Hotline is the nation’s largest immigration detention hotline, connecting immigrants in detention to their family, resources, and abuse documentation support at no cost to them.
I met Sakibu through one of those phone calls. Sakibu is an undocumented immigrant who was released from the The Otay Mesa Detention Center in February, after a painful and traumatic journey that began in his home country (Ghana).
While he is currently grateful to be out, and on his way to applying for asylum, it will take time, and he cannot legally work. He is struggling to pay off his $25,000 bond. This GoFundme is to help Sakibu pay off a part or whole of his bond, and reduce his financial burden as he begins his journey in the US. We are currently also seeking support from organizations that do bond support in addition to this effort. Thank you for helping! Please read his story below and give if you are able.
Poonam
————————————————————————————————————————
(The story below is paraphrased from Sakibu’s account given to me on a phone call).
"My Name is Sakibu Dawuda and I am from Asamankese, Ghana. Back home, I was working as a Taxi driver (since 2006). One day, I helped transport a group of LGBTQ friends to their desired location, and in the process, we got caught by the authorities. Where i come from is very rural, and being LGBTQ, or helping/working with that community in any way is an abomination, and people can get killed or badly hurt. When we were captured by the authorities, they beat us all very badly. I heard that one of the passengers was even killed.
I was lucky to be released, but our community no longer welcomed me, I continued to receive threats and was told that I had committed an abomination and if I continued to stay there, my life could be at risk.
Feeling fearful, I left my village to go and live with my mother in a nearby village. However, as soon as the community in her village began to hear about what had happened in Asamankese, my mother and I began to receive similar threats until I was forced to leave yet again to find a safe home. I then moved to Accra, where the impact of this event followed me again. During a visit to the mosque, our Imam told my story. I once again began to receive threats from community members who did not want me anywhere near.
At this point I was very afraid. I had a friend who was able to have his boss help me leave Ghana and travel to Ecuador. While in Ecuador, I struggled very hard financially and in many other ways. I decided with a group of fellow immigrants to attempt to seek Asylum in the United States, where i heard I could have a safer and better life.
With a group of fellow immigrants, we began a very scary and terrible journey through the forests of Panama and Costa Rica. The 6 days that I traveled through those forest was a horrible nightmare. We were robbed completely and beaten badly. I saw women raped right in front of my eyes. I saw dead people. It was very difficult and sad. I was very afraid.
When we finally made it to Tijuana, we were captured by ICE Border Agents. That is how I ended up in Otay Mesa.
I am happy to be out of Detention and beginning my life here in the United States. Please support me in my journey by helping me pay off my bond, so I can finally be free. I have been wearing their GPS tracking Ankle Bracelet since February. Thank you very much, I am grateful for your help."
Organiser
Poonam Whabi
Organiser
Oakland, CA
