Hi, my name is Andrew and I am fundraising for Jeuray Awale I've known Jeuray for almost a year during my time in Turin. Four months ago, I saw him around town with a bandage around his left hand. It was very badly swollen. I asked him what happened, and he changed the subject.

I wrote him later that day because something seemed off - and he sent me an article that told the story about how his hand was nearly amputated in an attack. Before the attack he had thwarted a robbery and returned a necklace to an elderly man - and the thief was arrested. Seeking revenge, the accomplices attacked him with a butcher's knife in the middle of the street. When I saw him, back in August, the pins implanted during surgery needed to be removed and together we paid a small hospital bill and they removed the pins. Best case scenario, he’ll have some function back in that hand after a couple years. But for now, he’s lost control of his dominant hand and is working to learn how to be right-handed.

and I share one thing - that we are both immigrants in Italy. But the opportunities and support we have in this country could not be any different. It’s hard enough for me to navigate the bureaucracy of this country, and I am married to Paola, an Italian woman who has held my hand through every step. Jeuray, on the other hand, doesn’t have a Paola. Seven years ago he arrived by a boat from Lybia, which capsized. He and his partner, who was pregnant at the time, were separated - he was sent to Sicily and she was sent to Turin. He made his way to Turin where they were able to live together for some time with their young son. He worked and had his papers in line.

But life was not easy. Their landlords refused them “residency”, even after paying rent for years. Without residency it's nearly impossible to do anything here, including renew your papers. Those landlords kicked them out when jeuray asked for residency, and from that point they were forced to rent an Airbnb for a while, which ate through all their savings. Social services recommended a program for his partner and son - a program for only mothers and their children - Jeuray could not participate. So for now they are separated, and working to be reunited.

Jeuray loves to cook, and he’s cooked Ghanaian food for me and our family. It's a welcome, spicy retreat from the normal Italian food we always eat. Since the attack, Jeuray is staying with a close friend of his who helps cook for him, close up his belt, and do other basic daily things. I’ve met this friend, Razak, who works laying down fiber lines across Piemonte. His income is not enough to support everyone.

Jeuray’s got the support of the Mayor of Turin to claim a visa for extraordinary civil acts. But he’ll need to be guided through the system with the help of an attorney. The criminal case against his attackers will be free, but the work to bring his family together and collect his papers will not be. Until his papers are back to a normal status, he can’t claim disability to help pay for rent or food.

The goal of this fundraiser is to help support Jeuray and his family over the next year. Razaq and him are looking for a larger apartment so that Rasaq can continue to take care of him, and so that Jeuray’s family can move in. Your donation will help them cover the initial costs of renting a larger apartment far away from the neighborhood where he was attacked, and to pay for the lawyers necessary to help make his visa request and to bring the family back together. Thanks for your time and consideration.

Health bill

Pay house rent

Bring family together