Help Sola Escape LGBTQ Persecution

Sola is a queer and disabled African looking to leave the motherland in the hope of a better life abroad. They have been putting off making this for a while because of the deeply ingrained cultural taboo of being vulnerable in this way by asking for financial help, but this is something that they desperately need.

The urgency of their situation became apparent following the unanimous adoption of a parliamentary bill that seeks to criminalize and sentence members of the LGBTQ+ community - and their allies - to 5 years behind bars for simply daring to exist as their authentic selves.

Unfortunately, anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is not uncommon in Africa; stemming - typically - from orthodox interpretations of religious scripture. “Coming out” often risks making you an ‘untouchable’ in what are often collectivist societies, or can even result in imprisonment or lynchings, at times.

Sola opted to hide that part of themselves for that very reason, but doing so didn’t spare them from suffering years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of their biological ‘parents’ during their childhood, with whom they are currently estranged. Nor has it made their present circumstances any easier.

They went the entirety of 2024 eating one meal a day and can only sustain that for another week or so before they completely run out of money. Things have been so dire financially that they have not sought any dental, physical or mental health care in over 20 months despite contending daily with several chronic medical challenges as well as a heightened risk of reinfection of malaria and covid.

Access to electricity and internet connectivity has been sporadic and they have not had running water for the past nine months which has necessitated having to collect buckets of water from a tap outside to manually fill the toilet before every flush, to do laundry with and bathe. Even if the tap was flowing, one wouldn’t dare drink the water.

There is no financial safety net or infrastructure to rely on - no minimum wage, unemployment assistance measures or disability benefit schemes. In fact, millions of people, regionally, live in extreme poverty, sustaining themselves on less than $2 US dollars a day.

In spite of the aforementioned, Sola has remained creative, kind, and resolute. Their hope is to travel to a country that respects, protects and celebrates their queer community and apply for asylum.

We believe wholeheartedly in their potential and ability to make a positive impact in the world; they just need some help to overcome the barriers that were placed in their way simply because they were born at a particular longitude and latitude.

Your life-saving donations will go immediately towards:

Time-sensitive/personal needs (including, but not limited to, meal allowance, rent/utilities, healthcare costs, etc.)

Any additional donations will be directed to the following:

Visa costs

Airfare and other transport

Legal fees

All other costs incidental to seeking refugee status (including, but not limited to, winter clothing provisions, housing, healthcare costs, miscellaneous living expenses, etc.)

Emergency fund

Every contribution, regardless of size, is of profound value to Sola and will make a meaningful difference in their future. We more than appreciate that a lot of folks that may wish to contribute are hurting financially right now; so, we wish to reassure everyone that sharing this link within family group chats, office dashboards, or throughout your online social network will be equally regarded as an act of solidarity and kindness.

Thank you for reading, sharing and donating; your generosity will certainly be paid forward!