I am Aisha, an LGBTQ refugee who fled Uganda. I had to leave my children (boy age 11, girl age 9, and boy age 6) and my parents. It was the hardest decision of my life but I had to run away to save my life. In Uganda, they can kill you for being gay. I had to leave Uganda because they tortured me. It was the hardest thing to leave but I had no choice if I wanted to live. When they discovered that I was a lesbian, they wanted to kill me or keep me in jail for the rest of my life.

To come to Canada, I had to take a large loan from a bank and money lenders. I used the money to pay for my Ugandan passport, a visitor VISA to Canada, and a plane ticket. To get the loan, my family had to give over the title to my family's land and home. My brother and my father helped me to leave, but they did not have the money so we had to borrow it.

When I came to Canada, I claimed asylum and now I am an LGBTQ refugee claimant. I am working hard to find work, but I am still unemployed. I do not have money to pay back the bank and money lenders in Uganda.

If I do not pay, my family and children will become homeless. I am thinking about my children because they are not safe. If I do not pay the bank and money lenders, things will only get worse for my children and family. The bank and money lenders are harassing my family for the money many times a day. Please help me to get my family and children out of this situation as soon as possible.

This money will help me to pay for the costs of fleeing Uganda and coming to Canada as an LGBTQ refugee. This money will go directly to the bank and money lenders in Uganda to help me family and children keep their home and lands.