West African Femme Survival Fund

I do not want to share my name in fear that my family will be able to identify me by sharing my story and this post. I’m a young Nigerian woman living alone in Cairo, Egypt. I have recently just graduated and received a medical degree. In the last year, my strict Nigerian muslim family became aware of my modelling work. My family are all based in Abuja, and up until this point, I had a very loving and strong bond with my family - they mean a lot to me. However, once they discovered my instagram account, our relationship became incredibly tumultuous. I’ve received so much abuse from my father, mother, brother and other immediate family members via text, email and through phone calls - I’ve received calls from my mother telling me that she wishes I was dead, and a disgrace to my entire family. All due to the fact that I’m not conforming to their idea of what my life should look like.

Earlier this year, I received panicked phone calls from my father and brother, telling me that my mother was dying in Abuja, and that I had to hurry home to see her in case her condition got worse. Soon after, I booked a flight to visit my mother and family and flew out in mid February, with the intention of staying in Nigeria for 2-3 weeks. Upon my arrival to Abuja, my father picked me up from the airport and took me to his house. Immediately after stepping into the house, all of my documents I brought with me were confiscated by my family and I was locked away in a room against my will. Over the course of 4 weeks, I was excessively beaten, burnt and kept in this room against my will. I was then told that I would be marrying a stranger that I had never met before in my life - against my will.

One night - my room was accidentally left unlocked, I escaped and I managed to retrieve my passport and flee my father’s house - escaping and running to a distant friend’s home. I immediately got phone calls from my father, threatening that if I didn’t come back, he’d destroy my life and kill me if he saw me onsight. I have recordings of my father repeatedly telling me that he would shoot and kill me on sight if he found me. He knew that I would go right back to Cairo - so he went to the Egyptian Embassy in Abuja and falsely accused me of money laundering, in an attempt to trap me in Nigeria and so that I would not be granted entry into Cairo - I’m now supposedly wanted for money laundering.

I’m currently staying with a distant friend in Abuja, and I desperately want to get out of this country as I’m scared that my family will find me. I’m now in an incredibly vulnerable position and need some money to get out of Abuja and back on my feet. Any money that’s raised will go to me sorting out a visa to fly out of Abuja and to somewhere safe. Will also cover food and living expenses as I’m out of work currently.