Supporting a Refugee Mom and Baby

UPDATE: The application for this young woman and her child has been submitted, and the Canadian government has approved the sponsorship. However, due to the pandemic, refugee resettlement is largely on hold and her case has not yet been processed. She is still awaiting her interview at the Canadian Visa Office and we do not yet know how long she will  be waiting to be come to Canada.

She is in regular contact with us and is coping despite the challenges of Covid19. Her baby is growing well and now sitting up! However, she has had some significant medical and dental expenses for her baby and for herself, and as a result we will soon be running low on funds to cover her rent, food, and other basic costs of living as a refugee in an urban centre. 

I have increased our fundraising goal to $5000, in hopes of covering costs until she comes to Canada. If we raise more than needed- for example, if refugee resettlement resumes and she is able to come to Canada more quickly than we are expecting- any additional funds will be used to support her and her little one after they arrive. 

Again, thanks so much for any help you can offer. It truly makes an enormous difference in her life and her baby's life-- it helps them to stay housed, safe and healthy while they wait to join us here. 


Original post: 

Hello! My name is Robin Stevenson. I am a Canadian author who has been involved in refugee sponsorship since 2015. Many of you have helped me out before, and I am hoping you might be willing to do so again.

I am currently working on the application forms to help a young refugee and her baby come to BC, through Canada's Private Sponsorship of Refugees program. Her sponsorship group has raised the money needed to support her during her first year in Canada-- but right now, Canada's border is closed and refugees are not able to travel due to Covid 19.

We don't know how long it will be before she and her child can join us here on Vancouver Island. In the meantime, their situation is precarious. They are in a country in sub-Saharan, living in a city, with no support from any government agency. With no work papers, a very young  baby to care for, and an ongoing pandemic, life  as a refugee is very hard for this young mother.

$150/month would cover the cost of her rent, water, electricity and food, with a little left over for bus fare and medical care if she or her child need to see a doctor.  Anticipating that it will be at least a year before her case is processed, borders open, and travel possible, I am hoping to raise $2000. This will allow us to send her monthly support until the end of 2021. 

We are all so very grateful for any assistance you can offer. It will make a huge difference to this young mother and her little one. Thank you so much.

***Note: Because the young woman we are raising funds for is not in North America and does not have a bank account, one of her sponsors- my friend Patience Batamuliza- is listed here as the beneficiary. Patience will be withdrawing the money and sending $150 each month, via a money transfer service such as SendWave or WorldRemit, to this refugee's mobile money account**